64 



THE ENTOMOLOOIST S RECORD. 



larvfe of B. ruhi were plentiful on the moors, I collected over 200, 

 and put them into two large boxes placed out of doors ; each box 

 contained five or six inches of S/ihayitHin moss for the larviB to 

 hybernate in. As much rain fell in the autumn, the moss in one of 

 these boxes got very wet, and all the larvfe in the wet moss died except 

 five ; but in the box which contained the dry moss there were only five 

 dead larvte ; there is no doubt that the severe frosts which prevailed 

 during January and February (we sometimes had as many as 34 

 degrees of frost at night) killed all the larvae in the wet moss. I 

 bred over 120 specimens from the larvae in the box with the dry 

 moss. I took several females out to the moors to attract males, but 

 I got very few males, as I think the species was scarce this season. 

 Most likely the severe frost killed many of the larvje on the moors, as 

 they are wet moors. — J. Finlay, Meldon Park, Morpeth. July 22nd, 

 1895. 



In October, a few years ago, I took a number of larvie of B. ruhi, 

 and managed to rear all but two. The way I treated them was to 

 get a large wooden box, which I filled half full of light earth, put a 

 quantity of bramble leaves, etc., in, covered it with net, and put it in 

 a cold frame in the garden. I did not look at it again till the middle 

 of Janiiary. On turning the box out, I found all the larvae just under 

 the surface of the earth, and perfectly healthy. I then put each larva 

 into a chip box, and placed the chip boxes on the kitchen mantelpiece. 

 Ill ten days every larva had spun up and pupated, and in another 

 foitnight the imagines were emerging in numbers. — L. S. Brady, 

 17, Filey Street, Shefheld. Sept. Hith, 1895. 



In what stage does Thyjielicus (Pamphila) thaumas hybernate ? 

 — A little point with reference to the life history of Thiiiiieiivus thaumas 

 wants putting straight. In Enlom., vol. xxv., p. 177, Mr. Hawes 

 writes : — " It may be well to correct an error with regard to both 

 //. tliauiiias and //. lineola, which appears to be accepted as fact. 

 Neither species passes the winter in the larva state." In Larvae of 

 lirit. Bnttfrfliis avd Moths, vol. i., p. 196, the Eev. J. Hellins writes 

 of T. thaumas:— ^^ The larvjB began to hatch on August 15th, and they 

 soon spun their little ropes of silk across the blades of grass, &c." 

 Which statement is correct? — J. W. Tutt, Westcombe Hill, S.E. 

 Notes of the Season. 



HiLDESHEiM. — Apatura iris and the red form of ///", known as clytte, 

 have been unusually abundant in the woods on the hill roads about 

 two hours from Hildesheim. Although very difficult to capture, eight or 

 nine specimens were netted on July 9th, while feeding on droppings on 

 the wood roads, or resting a moment on the bushes fringing the paths. 

 At least fifty were seen during the morning. While engaged in the 

 exciting chase, the perspiration (from the exertion and the great heat 

 of the day) starting from every pore, the hunter could not help 

 remembering the charming paper on Iris in the April number of the 

 Record, and wishing, with all his heart, that the talented author had 

 shared the wild joy and deep despair experienced on the occasion. 

 The specimen, which was aJmost in the net, was evidently so much 

 fresher — just from the chrysalis — than the one really bagged, that 

 the failure to catch it cast a gloom over all existence. One lovely Iris 

 was struck by the ring of the net, and dropped in the grass, from 

 whence it arose wildly, and, in less than half a second, had soared 

 over the highest oak. One peerless beauty lost a good bit of one hind 



