CURRENT NOTES. 277 



by Savigny in Birds in 1809 ; whilst .Vor^^rtc (plural form) was used by 

 Linne in Lepidoptera in 1758. Since Klein's date is before 1758 (the 

 date fixed for the operation of Zoological nomenclature), it falls, 

 leaving Xoctua free for Lepidoptera. 



Dr. Dyar {Psi/chc, February, 1896), has bred the English form of 

 Xotdliiplius / On/i/iaj aiitiqua, and states that the larvie and imagines 

 are identical with those of the New York species, X. iiora, and that the 

 Californian ^\. badia, formerly separated from X. nora by the absence 

 of the larval side tufts of hairs, is also identical with X. autiqiia, the 

 side-tufts simply developing at a later age, or not at all. He further 

 states that the larva? of all the members of the genus exhibit four 

 stages (8 moults) for the male and live (4 moults) for the female. 

 Dv. Dyar considers the larval side-tufts a lately acquired character, and 

 therefore makes hadia the more generalised form of antiqita. He is 

 upheld in his belief that hadia is only a local form of .V. anti(iua, 

 because of " their ready fertility with normal antiqua.''' 



In an interesting paper, by Dr. Harrison G. Dyar, on " The 

 Bombyces : what were they?" he concludes : — " The Bombyces con- 

 sisted of the higher types in all lines of development, regardless of 

 relationship. If we imagine the genealogical tree of Lepidoptera as 

 growing upright from the ground, the several branches and twigs 

 representing the families, and being of length proportional to their 

 degree of specialisation, the old classification would be represented by 

 horizontal planes. The uppermost would cut off the very summit of 

 the tree, the Papilionides ; the next would take the next succeeding 

 branches, perhaps the Sphinchdes, and the tip of a side branch from 

 the Tineid stem, say the Scsiidac. The next cut might give the old 

 Zi/i/acnidaf, consisting of some families from the Agrotid and Tineid 

 trunks, and the fourth cut is our Bombyces taking branches of all the 

 trunks that are approximately equal in degree of specialisation. The 

 base of the tree would comprise the rest of our old familiar families, 

 the Xdctuidaf, Micros, etc." 



;j^RACTICAL HINTS. 



Painting Cabinet Draweus. — Will some one with experience 

 kindly say what is the best preparation for painting cabinet drawers ? 

 I have been using, for some years, a recipe consisting of 8 grains of 

 corrosive sublimate dissolved in spirits of wine, 1 oz. of whitest gum 

 arabic, 2 oz. bottle of 2 parts water and 1 carbolic acid and prepared 

 chalk, but do not quite like it. I see in KnUnn., xxviii., p. 388, corrosive 

 sublimate in alcohol is recommended. Is this any better, and why ? 

 E. F. Studd, M.A., B.C.L. Frhruan/, 1896. 



Data wanted. — -In connection with reports on collecting, etc., very 

 few correspondents add remarks on the weather, etc. ; would not these 

 reports be of greater value for comparing different places, if made in 

 some such form as the following extract: — " Brackley, August, 1891. 

 — The first three weeks were fine and warm, the last week had the 

 greatest fall of rain this year ; during the first three weeks the 

 foUoAving species were taken, &c., &c." Whilst speaking of this subject, 

 I should be very glad of information as to collecting in 1890-1-2-8-4-5, 

 whether good, bad or indifferent, from collectors in any part of 

 England, Scotland and Ireland.— Ambrose Quail, 167, Iji'ooke Road, 

 Clapton, N.E. 



