302 TITK ENTOMOLOOTST's RKfORn. 



Irix (two), Orrhodia vnccinii (one), ScnpcloRoma snfpUiti'a (two, one with 

 white reniform and one with red). Sugar worked splendidly from June 

 9th until the beginning of August, when we turned our attention to search- 

 ing ragwort and grasses. During September, the latter part of August, 

 and this month, we have sugared 29 times, and caught 13 insects, in- 

 cluding the one 0. vaccinii and the two S. sateMitia mentioned above. 

 For many nights together we caught nothing, and in fact our best 

 sugaring night since August, only yielded two insects. Last year, C. 

 retnsta, A. litura and N. tjlareoMi, were seen in thousands ; this year not 

 one has been seen. — Montagu Gunning, M.D., The Mall, Montrose, N.B. 

 Ocl. 'ZUt, 1894. 



WIckea. — Mr. Hodges has already (ante, p. 180) given his experi- 

 ence of Wicken in June. During the same month I made my first 

 visit for this year to that locality. I was, however, more limited as 

 regards time than he was, and was neither so fortunate in my weather, 

 nor so successful in my take. In the second week of June, Ajmmea 

 nnanimis and A. gemina were met with in considerable numbers and, 

 with A. haslUnea and Mainestra sordida, were the most usual occupants 

 of our sugared knots. Hadena adusta was also common, some speci- 

 mens being so fine and so well marked and coloured, as to raise hopes 

 of H. porphijrea (satura), but I have not heard that the latter 

 insect was actually taken. Sugar, in the lane leading to the Fen, was 

 practically useless. On a fairly bright day at Tuddenham, we found 

 Heliothls dipsacea and Acidnlid rnbujinata in some numbers, and occa- 

 sional specimens of AgropliUa trnhc(dis and Acontla luctnosa. A few 

 minutes' search for Lithostege griseata produced several specimens, and 

 I think there must have been many more ; but the area within which 

 they occur is so limited (although the food-plant is abundant in all the 

 cornfields), that they seem not to be freely taken. The cajiture of 

 Hi/driUa palustris was, no doubt, the chief feature of the early part of 

 the season, Macrogaster arundinix is not scarcer at Wicken than it 

 was a few years ago, and it is to be hoped that a little careful nursing 

 will increase its numliers. One fine female has fallen to my share, and 

 many males were taken. In the last week of July, I went to Wicken 

 again, and then had rather more time at my disposal. I found the 

 local entomologists very despondent. It had been a shocking season 

 there, the rarities of the fen having, with the exception of Agrotis oh- 

 saira, been almost entirely absent. One Aeronycf.a sfrigosa and one 

 Hadena atrlpHcis but no Ci/inatophora octogesima were reported, and I 

 was fortunate enough to find Mr. Solomon Bailey with a fine 2 Cldaria 

 naiiittata (the first that had been taken at Wicken for four years), which 

 is now in my cabinet. On each day, during my visit in July, there 

 was a thunderstorm, which made the fen very unpleasant going ; 

 moreover, the excessive damp made the nights cold, and white mist 

 rose persistently. Under these circumstances, even partial success 

 was more surprising than absolute failure would have been. Light and 

 sugar in the lane were indeed useless ; but at sugar in the fen we met 

 with Lithosia griseola, Apamea lencostigina (abundant, some fine forms), 

 Lencania impndens, Cerigo matiira, Agrotis var. aquilina, Cleoceris viminalix, 

 and an occasional Caldmia phragiiiitidis. There were also good forms 

 of Apamea didi/iua and Agrotis nigricans. I took one A. ohscnra each 

 night, and Ilecatera chri/sozona (di/sodea) was taken at rest during the 

 day-time. The later part of the season appears to have been much 



