90 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



particularly vexing, as the neighbourhood is new to me. I took 

 Plastenis retusa, but my remaining captures wore only Seoluiplvryx 

 libatri.v, Tryphaena fimbria (in fair condition), T. ianthina, Catocala 

 nupta and Mania maura, and these occurred but sparingly. — W. W. 

 EsAM, St. Leonards. September 2Hth, 1895. 



Chatham. — In the neighbourhood of Chatham, during the three 

 weeks commencing August 15th, I met with abundance of Noctuids of 

 the usual kinds, and one specimen of Drepana cultraria. (Does this 

 moth often come to sugar ? I have never seen it before). The 

 weather during this period was intensely hot, but again day-fliers were 

 conspicuous by their absence. I only saw about half-a-dozen Pyrameis 

 atalanta, a few Lycaena hellan/us, and Cliryaophamis phloeas, not 

 very many Coenonymplin pampliilus, and one Colias edusa. I am told 

 that last year Vanessa io abounded in the valley that formed my chief 

 hunting ground, but this season none appeared. Is this species 

 becoming scarce in other places? I believe it has quite disappeared 

 from the neighbourhood of Hastings — at least I cannot meet with 

 anyone who has seen a specimen of late years. I was more successful 

 with Coleoptera, for in the valley above mentioned I took a nice lot of 

 Harpalus sabulicola, two Licinus depressus, numbers of L. silphoides, 

 two StapliyUnus stercorarius (under stones), a few Harpalus 

 rotundicolUs, H. azureus, and H. puncticollis, with some other species 

 of Harpalus that I have not yet had time to identify. Sweeping 

 was not very productive, as I took nothing but a ieyv Sermila palensis, 

 various Thy am is, which I won't attempt to name, tAvo Sitones crinitm, 

 one Cryptucejdialus jiusiJliis, and Cycliruutm Jntens. I may add that the 

 moth-trap was an utter failure, yielding only two Crambus cidmeUiis, 

 one Ceradoma costella, and one Eupithecia oblongata. — Ism. 



WicKEN. — On .lune 17th, 1895, my son and I arrived at Soham at 

 4.58, according to precedent, and were conveyed by Mr. John Bailey to 

 Wicken. The weather was warm but rather unsettled, and promised 

 well. After tea we went off to greet Mr. Albert Houghton, who was 

 expecting us, and to arrange for the work of the evening. His account 

 of the season was most discouraging, and his boxes confirmed his tale. 

 Except that Macrogaster castaneae {arundinis) had been met with more 

 frequently than usual, the season had, so far, been a failure ; sugar was 

 hopeless. However, we hoped against hope, and persuaded him to 

 sugar the drove, fen and lane, and at 8.45 we were on our way out. 

 We soon found that he had not underrated the value of sugar. On 

 this and the next two nights, we took nothing worth mentioning at 

 sugar, except afew Leucania /7«^*i(c?e?is (rather early for this, was it not?), 

 Apamea unanimis, and Aplecta advena. At light we had rather better 

 luck. Herminia crihrumalis was abundant ; Nascia cilialis occurred in 

 fair numbers ; and besides these wo took several ilf. castaneae, Spilosoma 

 urticae, Viminia albovenosa, as well as some Meliana fiammea, Pieros- 

 toma palpina, etc. Wo worked away until midnight, or later, and felt 

 ourselves faily rewarded. June 18th was brilliant, and very hot, so I 

 wentover to Tuddenham with Mr. Houghton, and there we had very good 

 sport. Acidalia rnhiginata was practically over, as also was Liihostcge 

 griseata, which had been unusually early this year ; but we netted alarge 

 number of Agrojdiila trabealis, and Heliothis dipsacea, which are of a 

 much lighter colour than those taken in the New Forest, and a few 

 A. riihiginaia, and Aconiia liictuosa, Etipithecia oblongata runs to a 



