NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 153 



probably the description, &c. would most advantageously find a place 

 in its pages. — F. J. Buckell, Canonbury. April 28th, 1894. 



Melanism IN Greenland. — In a paper on the "North Greenland 

 Microlepidoptera" (Ent. News) Prof. Fernald writes : — " One of tlie most 

 interesting features of this small collection is the very dark colour of 

 the insects. The specimens of Laodama fusca and also of Pyrausta 

 torvalis are much darker than any I have ever seen before, either of 

 those taken in New England or in Labrador, but Avheii we recall that 

 Mr. Mengel states that they rest on the lichen-coloured rocks we have 

 not far to seek for the cause of this dark colour. The lichens, which 

 almost entirely cover the rocks in northern regions, are very dark 

 brown or black, and when insects habitually rest on such places the 

 lighter-coloured varieties are more easily seen and destroyed by their 

 enemies, and the dark forms are left to proj^agate the species, and as a 

 result a dark race is formed in time." The specimens referred to were 

 taken at McCormick Bay, North Greenland, in lat. 77° 42' N., between 

 July 25th and August 1st, 1891.— J. W. Tutt. 



OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Spring Notes. — Mr. M. Stanger Higgs of Lydney, Gloucestershire, 

 reports that sallow has attracted nothing but the common Taeniocampae, 

 and that beating and ordinary mothing have yielded Anticlea hadiata, 

 A. nigrofasciaria, Larentia nmltistrigaria, Hybernia rupicapraria, II. 

 leiicophearia, H. marginaria, Anisopteryx aescularia, Eupithecia pnmilata, 

 Taeniocampa gracilis, T. populeti, and of Micros, Pterophorus mono- 

 dactyla, Coccyx splendidtdana, C. argyrana and Diurnen fag clla. He also 

 states that larvae of Melitaea aurinia are abundant, and nearly full-fed. 



Mr. T. Greer reports from Bath the capture of Euchloe cardamines 



on April 2nd, of Pyrgtis malrae on April 20th, and of Hemcroplula 

 ahrnptaria at a gas-lamp, on April 21st. He also notes the capture in 

 August last, of Lycaena bellargus and L. corydon on the ground above 

 Box Tunnel, where the formation is not chalk, but oolitic lime-stone, 

 and of Bupalus piniaria, which latter he suggests must have been a 



second brood. Mr. L. H. Bonaparte Wyse, Co. Waterford, Ireland, 



writes : — " On April 23rd I captured a tine ? Leucophasia sinapis, not 

 in or near a wood but in an open tield ; although I have searclied care- 

 fully whenever the weather permitted, I have not come across another 

 specimen ; I had no idea that the insect was found in this part of Ire- 

 land. Most of the sjjring butterflies are now out. Pararge egeria, P. 

 megaera, Pieris rapae and P. napi are very common, and occasional 

 specimens of Euchloii cardamines are to be met with. I have not yet 

 seen P. brassicae on the wing, but I always find it later than the other 

 two. Hybernated sjDccimens of Vanessa urticae are every Avhere ; a few 

 V. to are met with ; of V. atalanta, which swarmed in our garden last 



autumn, I have seen no hybernated specimen." Dr. Freer, Avriting 



on May 2yth of the insects of Cannock Chase, says : — " On April 3Uth 

 I took a specimen of Notodouta dictaeoides, which I sliould think is a 

 record emergence ; on the same day odd specimens of Spibsoma fnligi- 

 nosa, Pachnobia rnbricosa and Iladena glauca were taken, with an 

 asymmetrical var. of Thecla rubi. The right wings were normal, but the 

 upper left wing had a patch of lighter brown than the rest of the wing, 



