NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 155 



The Clavicornia shows some signs of neglect. Ti/cJms ni(jer was 

 swept on the river bank, (Jhuleva viorio and (J. vclo.r were in dead birds, 

 Ont]i<n>Jnlu>i striatHs and Scaphidiuin 4:-macidatuiii under logs, Scaphisoma 

 atjaricina in fungi, L'lirtotriplax hipimtulata in moss, Phalacrus caricit 

 swept from reeds, Hippodamia I'd-jmnctata, Scyjimus fruntalis, Olihriis 

 liquidus, Cercus bipustidatus, and Brachijpterus urticae swept. Epurea 

 piisilla was taken commonly from chips of felled pines. Nitidida 

 rujipcs from a dead dog. Meli(ietJti\s dijficilis, M. bnmniconm, and M. 

 mt'iiinoniu.^ from flowers, especially those of liammndtis jicaria and 

 bramble, ('i-i/jitarcha .strii/ata from Cossns infected oak. Cerylun 

 histeroidc'.s under bark on birch stumps, Psannnoeclmfi hipunctatus swept 

 from refuse of aquatic and other plants in spring and autumn. 

 Comparatively few of the Crijptuplianidae and Lathridiidae were taken : 

 Munotuma picipes, Lathridms lardarim, L. minutus, L. nodifer and 

 L, transcersus, Corti'-aria elongata and C, f/ibbosa, Tehnatophilus caricit, 

 V rijpt,ophagus acutcau/idus, C. pilosm, C. hj coper di and C. scanicus, 

 Mijrmecoxenus vaporariorum, Atomaria mesomelas, A. nana and A. 

 rxificurnis, all swept, except C. scanicus, which swarmed in a piece of 

 stale, damp bread. Mycetophaijus piceiis from fungi, Simplocaria 

 scmistriata, and Ehnis acneus are nearly all that have been added to 

 the Clavicornia. 



(To he continued.) 



AcHERONTiA ATROPos AT Clevedon. — A fine Specimen of A. atropos 

 was taken at rest near the gas-works in Clevedon about a week since. 

 I suppose the recent hot weather induced the insect to emerge. — J. 

 Mason, Clevedon Court Lodge. October 18th, 1895. 



An autumnal emergence of Noctua conflua. — I have just bred 

 to-day a lovely specimen of Noctua conflua, one of a batch of ova sent 

 to me from Shetland, in July last. — T. Maddison, South Bailey, 

 Durham. November 11th, 1895. 



Early appearance of Poecilocampa populi. — I have recently 

 taken a few insects from the lamps, the most important being a male 

 poecilocampa populi, on October 18th. Is not this very early ? I took 

 the species last Avinter in January. — E. R. Bush, 71, Strathmore 

 Street, Perth, N.B. 



Sphinx convolvuli at Clevedon. — S. convolvuli has not been by 

 any means plentiful here this autumn. In 1887 I took a specimen as 

 early as August 18th ; this year the first appearance of the species was 

 on the evening of August 28th. The specimen seen on that evening 

 I did not capture — was too nervous I suppose. I had been on the 

 watch for the insect for a fortnight before, having a splendid bed of 

 the tobacco plant in flower, but did not see a specimen until the 28th. 

 The next evening I took two specimens ; they were not so fine as 

 usual considering the earliness of the season. After this the weather 

 was unfavourable, and it was a fortnight before I saw any more. On 

 the evening of September 11th I took one specimen, and saw, but did 

 not capture, another ; and two nights after captured a fourth. The 

 same evening we experienced a very heavy thunderstorm. After this 

 I saw no more until September 20th, when I saw two, but missed both. 

 The following night I took another — my last capture ; about a week 

 after, however, I saw another but failed to capture it, and did not 

 notice any more after that date (September 30th). The latest date at 

 which I have captured S. concolmdi was in 1886, when I took it at a 



