CtTRRENT NOTES* SO 



serious collectors do now ever work for it in the right place, in the 

 right way, and at the right time ? I think the ' pretty widow ' can 

 only be in hiding. lltU, however, is not, I fancy, generally con- 

 sidered to be the habit of those of whom the sapient Mr. Weller bid 

 Samivel ' beware! ' " The Rev. 0. P. Cambridge does not hint at the 

 " right place," the " right way," or the " right time." Could not 

 he give the secret to an absolutely trustworthy amateur collector 

 (there is one, a rather near neighbour of his, to go no further) to test 

 whether C. ridnaria be still an inhabitant of the New Forest ? 



li^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Hybernating larv.e. — The larvae that I sleeved out for the winter 

 appeared, in the middle of March, to be, on the whole, in good con- 

 dition. A batch of PhonHli'sma siaarandaria have wintered most 

 successfully, sleeved out on Southernwood or " Old Man." (renmctra 

 papilianaria larvffi were already nibbling the birch buds, whilst a few 

 P. baiularia larvae were promenading on their sleeve in the sunshine. 

 Lasiovampa queirifolia were still sprawling on the naked stems of plum 

 and sallow, and looking uncommonly like them too. When touched, 

 they show their orange spots between the segments, which are very 

 conspicuous against the dull dead brown of their bodies. Later on, 

 when full-grown and grey, the blue in these spots predominates, if my 

 memory serves me, as such a pampered menial should. Why is this ? 

 And why have such spots '? Is the showing of them likely to frighten 

 a bird, who thought that nice rotten piece of wood was good for 

 building a nest '? The protective colouring of the animal is marvellous, 

 enough to deceive even entomologists, let alone birds ; but when 

 touched and showing off, these intersegmental glories are most con- 

 spicuous. — E. A. Bowles, M.A., F.E.S., Myddleton House, Waltham 

 Cross. April, 1896. 



Early spring collecting. — I paid a visit to Kinnoull Hill on the 

 night of March 9th, and was very much surprised to find Larentia 

 midtistrii/aria flying in abundance. I also paid three visits to the 

 sallows in this vicinity during March (I may remark that sallows are 

 scarce in the immediate neighbourhood), and found them literally 

 swarming with Taeniocampa (/otltica, T. stabills, T. instabUix, Orrluxlia 

 vaccina, L'alocanipa c.coleta and Panolis piniperda. At Easter, I 

 wenttoMethvenMossto sweep for larvae, and got a considerable number 

 of those of Oiyi/ia fascdina in second skin, and Boiiihi/.r callunac. 

 Larvae of Plmia internxiationis were very scarce, only five, nearly full- 

 fed, being secured. — E. R. Bush, 71, Strathmore Street, Bridgend, 

 Perth. April, 1896. 



The only fact of importance that I have to record is the great 

 number of Paiudix piniperda which have turned up at the sallows 

 this year. I generally take about a dozen during the season, but this 

 year they were most abundant, and came flying to the light in 

 dozens.— Montague Gunning, M.D., The Mall, Montrose. April 

 IQth, 1896. 



The male sallows in this neighbourhood began to show their 

 anthers about March 23rd, but there were few moths on the wing at 

 that date. On March 80th, fine night, the thermometer indicated 

 42*^ F. at 10 p.m., and I took Tacnidcainpa opium, T. instabilis, T. 

 stabilise T. ijothica, T. pulrcrulcnta, S. saUilitia and Calocampa ccolcta. 



