k 



NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 297 



duccd luc to import several roots of striped ribbon grass ; but although 

 wo ke})t careful watch both for larvte and imagines, none were seen 

 until this year, when three were taken — one on July 8th, another on 

 July 24th, and the third on July 27th. The specimen taken on July 

 24th was perfectly fresh. It seems that this species is within the reach 

 of any one, at any rate in London, who takes the trouble to import a 

 few roots of the grass into his garden. — Ambrose Quail, Stamford Hill. 



Laphygma exigua in THE IsLE OF WiGHT. — It is my good fortune 

 to again chronicle the capture by myself of this pretty and very dis- 

 tinct little Noctua at Freshwater, upon Sept. 25th. The specimen is 

 unfortunately very faded, and in this respect contrasts very unfavour- 

 alily with the previous capture (ante page 229) which however can 

 hardly be wondered at, as it is more than three weeks later, and 

 the weather has been most unsettled in the meantime. My experience 

 is that L. exigua is most easy to distinguish, when upon the sugar, from 

 Caradriua cubicnlarif;, as the latter sits very flat with the wings over- 

 lapping, and has a remarkably level appearance, whilst L. exicjiia droops 

 its wings, after the manner of Plusia ijamma at rest. — Albert J. 

 Hodges. Sept. 2m, 1894. 



Nootua daiilii not AT York. — The reference (ante, p. 256) to the 

 occurrence of this species at York is an error. N. dahlii has never been 

 taken here. It occurs at Shipley Glen, Bradford, where, in some seasons, 

 it is common. — Wm. Hewett, Howard Street, York. Oct. 23rd, 1894. 



Collecting at Crosier : a correction. — The sentence in my note 

 (^p. 252) referring to treacling on the cliff on one night only seems to 

 indicate that this was the only treacling we did ; this is misleading. 

 I meant to imply that we only treacled on the cliff on one night ; the 

 remarks following the sentence referred to, relate to the whole of 

 our experience at Cromer in the treacling way. We tried it in several 

 localities rather more inland, and found that the tlower-head.s, when 

 treacled, paid better than trees ; of the latter, indeed, thei'e were very 

 few suitable for the purpose. — C. Nicholson, 202, Evering Koad, N.E. 

 Nov. 2nd, 1894. 



Food-plants of Bombyx quercus. — The larvte mentioned in my 

 Cromer note last month ai'e about 2 inches long, and seem disposed to 

 feed up without hibernating. As bramble, rose, &c. (to which they 

 are now reduced), are getting scarce, I shall be very glad if someone 

 can recommend me any evergreen plant which they will eat. Owen 

 Wilson gives " Ivy (in winter) ;" does anyone know if this is un- 

 failing, or is it likely to be a matter of taste according to the brood ? 

 Mine are now, I think, in their tifth skin. — C. Nicholson, 202, Evering 

 Eoad, N.E. Nov. 2nd, 1894. 



NOTES OF THE SEASON 1894. 



Short Notes froji the Books of the Exchange Baskets. — Mr. II. 

 Bickerton Jones (Liverpool) writes on September 4th : — " This season 

 has been, I think, the worst I ever experienced. I believe matters 

 are improving with the autumn, as many insects have been taken at 



Delamere lately." Mr. J. E. Eobson (Hartlepool) writes on 



September 5th : — " It has been a wretched season here. Sugar has 

 been fairly attractive to common things, but the only decent insects 

 which I have taken at it are one each of Mamciitra ahjecla and 



