338 THE entomologist's becord. 



The evening of my return proved also very productive in other 

 species, Apoorplii/Ia anstralis and Agrotis obelisca shewing up well — the 

 latter being as usual worn to the extent of about 90 per cent., the 

 former good. A new and prolific spot for the former species was 

 discovered by the enterprise and energies of Mr. Hanbury's sons, and 

 upon another suitable evening I boxed some fifty to sixty fine speci- 

 mens within less than as many minutes upon a sugared fence, between 

 11 p.m. and midnight; this species is, I believe, as a rule late in its 

 visits to the treacle. We were joined and reinforced just before this 

 period by Mr. A. W. Mera, and during our united stay Freshwater 

 certainly was worked at night as it never had been before. Owing to the 

 very limited quantity of ground available for remunerative work the 

 gi-eatest personal consideration was necessary, and the concord that 

 should mark all entomologists in field work and which is more to the 

 front in the field tlian in the study was amply in evidence. Unfortu- 

 nately, there was a complete absence of Laphygma exigua and other 

 good things, but an abundance of all that could be reasonably expected. 

 Epnnda Intnlenta and Calocampa exolela only occurred once, whilst Ancho- 

 celis lunosa and the usual rank and file of autumnal captures were plentiful. 

 The virtues of some of the older preparations for treacling were tested, 

 as Mr. Hanbury has, like Mr. Day, devoted some amount of time and 

 expense to discovering the best paying mixture, but as he supplied all 

 our " tins " during our joint stay the NocTu.ffi! were spared the invidious 

 duty of deciding the point. Agrotis sancia was quite easy to obtain, 

 but in nothing like the profusion of the preceding autumn. Many 

 very fine forms of A. segetiim were obtainable, whilst the usual very 

 late laggards of Gnophos ohsairata visited sugared flower-heads on the 

 cliffs ; being large, pale and somewhat worn, they arouse constant 

 suspicions as to their identity, which are, however, I consider, ground- 

 less. Whatever the results of the September work, no accusation of 

 Avant of energy can be laid at our doors ; although the evenings were 

 long and it was necessary to start by 6 p.m., it was rarely before mid- 

 night that the last captures were made and the different parties would 

 meet to compare notes on the results of the evening's work, which 

 were mostly sufiiciently satisfactory to send the satiated captors in a 

 •comfortable frame of mind to their well and hardly-earned repose. — 

 Albekt J. Hodges. — November, 1893. 



NOTES OF THE SEASON. 



Sutton Parle, near Birmiugham. — The season ojjened Avell with 

 Lyccena argiolus and Thecia ruhi on the Aving at the beginning of April 

 in greater profusion than usual. Lohojjhora viretata was, I hear, 

 plentiful, though I did not find it so ; however, I took a variety of this 

 insect (the only one I have ever seen), in which the median band was 

 entirely absent, so that both fore wings are of a uniform gi-een. Hadena 

 glauca seemed a little less scarce than usual, though perhaps it was because 

 I devoted more time to searching for it on tree trunks and palings ; this 

 appears to be the only way of obtaining the perfect insect in this 

 locality. Mr. Home tells me that he took one specimen at sugar in Orkney, 

 but I have tried here for the last two years without success. According 

 to Mr. Mutch the Scotch form of H. glauca is decidedly darker than that 

 from the Midlands. I Avas fortunate enough to obtain ova, and although I 

 haA'e always understood that the larvfe of the genus Hadena are difficult 



