262 THE entomologist's record. 



geneous mixture." I do not imderstand what is meant by the " drying 

 up or blowing out to which the best imagines are too often subject;" 

 we dry imagines and some collectors blow out larvae, and I am inclined 

 to consider that blown larvae are of very little value, except for 

 collectors to name their captures by. I should be delighted if more 

 entomologists did their work with microscope and pencil, but these are 

 not altogether unknown even in the entomological world. — J. W. Tutt, 

 Oct. 10th, 1S94. — [We must ask any contributors wlio join in this dis- 

 cussion, if tliere be any further discussion, to limit their facts and 

 arguments to insects, and not to travel over the whole field of zoology. 

 —Ed.] 



^"OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Collecting at CrC)3ier. — 1 spent twelve days at the end of July 

 with my friend, Mr. R. W. Kobbins of Clapton, at Sidestrand, three 

 miles east of Cromer, on the top of the cliff. We were within a mile 

 of the famous " Garden of Sleep," and there was no mistake about the 

 " poppyland ;" there were fields full of poppies everywhere ; we found 

 all the four British species with red flowers. We had fairly good 

 weather, but it was decidedly mixed — generally damp and muggy, Avith 

 white mists ; at no time during our stay was it cold enough for an over- 

 coat. We could have done with more sunshine, and were not 

 surprised to find butterflies practically absent, the ubiquitous 

 Epinephele ianira being the only species at all common. Among the 

 moths, Geometrae were very scarce. The only ones of any note were 

 Eupithea'a suhfulcata (1 sp.) and 3IeJanij)j:)e imaiKjulata (common; rather 

 worn), both of which we took on bramble-flowers. We tried treacling 

 heads of ragwort, dock, hogweed, (fee. on the cliff's on one night. Noctuae 

 were numerous, but not select ; Ayrotis exdamationis principally, with 

 A. segetum, Axylia pntris, Xi/lophasia monoglypha, Triphaena pronuha, 

 Caradrina ahines, Miana strigilis, Leucania jiaUens, L. Jithargyria, L. 

 conigera, Noctua c-nigrum and N. plecta. But undoubtedly the best 

 insect we took was Noctua ditrapezimi ; seven very decent specimens on 

 treacle on ragwort heads. We were surprised to see that the strigilis 

 were mostly dark, many being almost as black as var. aethiops. Bramble 

 flowers produced, besides many of the above, Cerigo matura (I), Noctua 

 umhrosa (I), Triphaena comes (5 or 6, varying from pale jDinkish buff to 

 dark grey-brown), Charaeas graminis (1). We also took several fine 

 specimens of Agrotis nigricans on treacle, all dark. We found the 

 flowers of bladder campion very attractive to Nocti^.e, especially Leu- 

 cania patlens, which was a nuisance everywhere, though there were 

 some nice reddish forms to be had. iJaywork resolved itself into 

 searching for Bryophila pjerJa on the flint and cement walls which are 

 a feature of this part of the countiy. In the majority of cases the 

 flints were of the " cobble " type, and were stuck endways into the 

 cement, thus leaving projecting round knobs under which pevla was 

 fond of sitting ; on one occasion I found a fine specimen of Macroglossa 

 steUatarum at rest (in the daytime) on the to}) of one of the round knobs. 

 The age of the wall and the quantity of the lichen thereon were no 

 criteria as to the presence or absence of perla ; many most eligible 

 walls (in appearance) were destitute of occupants, while the most pro- 

 ductive of all was comparatively new, and not at all thickly "licliened." 

 On this wall, which was near Trimingham, we found a fine sandy 



