NOTES ON OOLLEnTINr,, ETC 181 



extinguished before its local rivals, and this was when a fen-fog liegan 

 to rise — a sure sign of a blank evening. First and foremost among our 

 cajitures were three sjiecimens of Ili/drilJa pahistrii^, all males of course, 

 and mostly in good condition — a very welcome sight after the eight or 

 nine years which have elapsed since this species Avas last captured, not- 

 withstanding that the spot is annually worked most perseveringly by 

 amateurs and professionals alike. A fourth specimen fell, I believe, to 

 the lot of one of the local professionals and was at once secured for the 

 collection of a well-known lepidopterist. Our sheet was also honoured 

 by the attentions of Macrogastcr arundinis, but of which we only secured 

 four specimens, owing, doubtless, to the intense cold that usually set in 

 with sunset. Meliana flammea occurred sparingly but with fair 

 regularitj^ whereas Viminia venosa only appeared to be attracted on one 

 occasion for a few minutes, during a momentary respite from the 

 heaviest downfall of rain it was ever my fate to encounter in the Fens, 

 and which we endured untlinchingly for over three hours. 



The Prominents and the Hawk-moths sent an occasional represent- 

 ative to the scene, Arctia fnJiijinosa cheering us on several nights, and of 

 A. nriicae two fine specimens were secured, whilst among Geometers, 

 Enpifhecia centanrenta was the most numerous visitor, and in Micros, the 

 ever-present ChiJo phrriijmiielJnH deserted us not, whilst the delicate little 

 Nascin cilialis afforded us about two dozen specimens on our best night, 

 which occasion will ever stand in our recollection as another " Ked- 

 letter" night, from the above-mentioned capture of the H. palnstris, 

 when, needless to relate, we only abated our efforts as the flush of dawn 

 aroused the distant " Chanticleer," and the song of the larks soaring 

 from the corn-fields surrounding the Fen, broke the silence which had 

 reigned since the cessation of the " calling " of the snipe, and the harsh 

 rattle of the corn-crakes. Upon this occasion, common Noctile con- 

 tinued to visit the " sugar " at intervals, all night, but there was little 

 variet\', Apmnea unaniniis being in ' fine ' condition, with an occasional 

 'fine ' Hadena, of varying species, and the usual ever-present A<jrotides. 

 For the more aljundant Fen Nocture, we were of course too earl}-, as 

 also for Herminia ciibrah's, of which we only secured a single sjjccimen. 



Day-work was not neglected, but in our case, Wicken Fen wore too 

 hackneyed an air by day, and the first wild enthusiasm for Fapilio 

 macliiwa had long since departed. Arduous trijjs to Tuddenham 

 (Suffolk) and Chippenham, helped to save us from ennui by day, and 

 although the " takes " were diminished by absence of sun, yet we were 

 fortunate in securing series of HeJiothis dipsacea and Acidalia rnhricata, 

 with representatives of Agrophila snlj^htiralis, Acontia luctnosa and 

 Lithostege grheata. 



The pleasure of these trips was greatly enhanced by the society of 

 the ever -popular President of the City of London Society, who was 

 making a short stay with another ardent entomologist, at Wicken, and 

 who proved to be as genial an acquisition to the social side of village- 

 life, as to the graver scientific circles of which he is more often a centre. 



Owing to the ill-health of our courteous hostess of 1893, we were 

 com})elled to stay at the '• Maid's Head " Inn, which, with the limited 

 accommodation at its disposal, is mostly occupied during the collecting 

 season, and possibly on this account manages at the close of one's stay, to 

 completely dispel any pleasing illusions which may have been indulged, 

 of rural chai'ges, commensurate with truly rural accommodation, by the 



