NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 253 



form (var. flavescens, Tutt) ; it was common on this, the only wall 

 where we foixnd it. On this wall we also took the type and some dark 

 forms, evidently near var. suffusa, Tutt. There was, too, a very jjretty 

 form, apparently a combination of var. suj^usa and var. flavescens. In 

 several of the var. flavescens the stigmata seem to be pale blue, pro- 

 bably from contrast. As far as we could see, there was no reason why 

 var. flavescens should have been (seemingly) confined to this wall ; there 

 were yellow lichens on it, certainly, but not to a greater extent than on 

 other walls in the neighbourhood. Query : Does perla feed on one sjoecies 

 of lichen only, or on any species ? By means of a newly-emerged J 

 Bomhyx quercus (found on a gate jjost), we obtained eight males in good 

 condition by "assembling," and we were able to divide about 100 ova 

 between us ; the young larvaj are being fed on willow and jjlum, and 

 are now in their fourth skin and an inch and one-eighth in length. 

 The garden of the farmhouse where we stayed was very productive as 

 regards Abraxas grossulariata, and the specimens were very fine. I 

 took one of a pale cream colour with the usual markings ; the ex- 

 panded wings measure just two inches across. Larva-beating was not 

 a success, because there seemed to be no larvae, and very few suitable 

 places to beat for them if there had been ; the east side of Cromer being 

 very sparsely wooded, and the trees mostly sycamores ; what oaks 

 we did see had an unjjleasantly fresh and " uneaten " appearance. 

 Speaking generally, however, I should think the locality (especially 

 west of Cromer) would be a good collecting ground in a favourable 

 year, as soon as one got used to the country. — C. Nicholson, 202, 

 Evering Road, N.E. 1st October, 1894. 



Eggs of Bombyx kubi " ichneumoned." — During the annual visit 

 of the North London Natural History Society to the New Eorest at 

 Whitsuntide last, Mr. C. B. Smith caj)tured a female of this sjDecies 

 and placed it alive in a large glass-bottomed pill-box, in which it laid 

 two patches of eggs. He left the eggs in the box, which he used oc- 

 casionally with his other boxes in the ordinary way. Some days subse- 

 quently he kindly presented me with some of the eggs (about 38), and 

 gave the rest to Mr. L. B. Front. In due course mine commenced to 

 hatch, and all yielded up their larvae except about eight. I kept these 

 for some time, wondering why they did not hatch, and was one day 

 surprised to see several very minute ichneumon-flies in the box. I 

 examined the eggs, and found in one or two of them the holes made 

 by the flies in emerging. The whole of the eggs which did not hatch 

 eventually proved to be tenanted by these little ichneumons, of Avhicli 

 I bred about 30 ; that is, an allowance of three or four flies to each 

 egg ! The question is, how did they get there ? I saw the moth in 

 the box with the eggs, and there was no sign of the fly there then. 

 Mr. Smith assures me that he had not noticed any insect in the box other 

 than lepidopterous from the time the rnbi was jjut in until he handed the 

 eggs over to me, and, curiously enough, none of Mr. Front's eggs were 

 " stung." xVlthough eggs are occasionally " stung," this is the first 

 instance which has come under my notice ; and, if any hymenoptcra- 

 loving correspondent would like a specimen or two of the ichneumon, I 

 shall be pleased to forward some. They seem closely akin to Micro- 

 gaster. — C. Nicholson, 202, Evering Foad, N.E. 1st October, 18U4. 



CoLiAS EDUSA IN SuKREY. — Last Saturday, whilst in the train, I saw 

 a fine fresh specimen of Colias edusa — female — flying on the railway 

 bank between Weybridge and Byfleet stations. The train was travel- 



