MOTF.S ON COLLECTING. 63 



empty, and that never during my stay there, from May 27th to 

 June 18th, did I see an imago of this insect on the wing, even though 

 the insect was evidently so common in the district ? I am only sorry 

 that I never reared any of the larvae, and that my observations are 

 not therefore conclusive. — W. M. Christy, M.A., t'.E.S., Watergate, 

 Emsworth, Hants. Jan. llth, 1897. 



AsTEROscopus SPHINX NUMEROUS IN CO. Galway. — -When lately on 

 a visit to Clonbrock, co. Galway, I found this moth, which is con- 

 sidered generally scarce on the Continent, according to such authorities 

 as I have been able to refer to, decidedly numerous. As soon as the 

 nights became dark, at the end of October, several specimens were 

 taken nightly in Mr. ])illon's moth-trap, which was placed in a road 

 through a wood. On the 1st November, seven were taken before 

 11 p.m., and nine after that hour, some of which came flying to my 

 hand lamp, making a total of 16. The next night was very dark and 

 favourable, and twenty-three were captured before midnight, and five 

 more by the moth-trap before morning, making twenty-eight. Two 

 I caught on the wing Hying past me ; and several more came to the 

 hand lamp. On the 4th there was a pretty sharp frost, but eleven 

 were taken in the trap. On the night of the 5th the thermometer 

 registered 29*-' F., and no moths of any species flew. After this date, 

 till I left, only small captures were made. It is unnecessary to 

 mention that all these were males. Mr. Dillon and I made careful 

 search on several occasions for females on the tree-trunks, but in vain. 

 They varied in strength of colour somewhat, some having the 

 markings much more pale than the ordinary type. It is interesting 

 also to remark that specimens have been taken by Mr. Dillon in spring 

 as well as autumn, although the ova are deposited (at least, ordinarily) 

 before winter. This habit is noticed by Rogenhofer, according to 

 Hoffmann [Die liaujien der Sc/imetteiimifi' hhiropas, p. 123) : — " Das Ei 

 iiberwintert, nach Rogenhofer auch der Schmetterling." The most 

 noticeable thing about the autumnal captures of this season was the 

 utter absence of many of some usual species at ivy blossom or other- 

 wise, such as Xijlina socia, Hi/hi'iniadrfoliaria, etc. — W. F. de V. Kane, 

 M.A., F.E.S., Drumreaske House, Monaghan. Ihr., 1896. 



Chcerocampa nerii in Aberdeenshire. — A wonderfully good male 

 of the above species was found on September 19th, in one of the out- 

 houses at Grandholm Works, near Aberdeen, by Mr. John Cameron, 

 foreman weaver. Excepting a small portion of the thorax, which is 

 rubl)ed, it is otherwise in good condition. The specimen was very well 

 set by Mr. John Thomson, a collector who is employed at the works, 

 and who kindly added it to my collection. I enclose a very accurate 

 coloured drawing by Mr. Archd. S. Hill, of this town, it will be seen 

 that the specimen in question has a much greater display of 

 reddish-pink than the figures in Barrett's Lepidoptera of the British 

 Islands. — Arthur Horne, 52, Irvine Place, Aberdeen, N.B. Xovewber 

 lith, 1896. 



Chariclea umbra (Heliothis marginata) abundant in 1896. — I 

 did very little collecting last summer. The only insect I got commonly 

 was C. umbra {nunyinata). It was at one time almost our commonest 

 Noctuid, then it became so rare that it was scarcely seen for years. 

 Last year (1896) it swarmed, and if I could have looked well after it, 

 I could have taken hundreds, as it was I got a very fair number. — J. 

 E. RoBsoN, F.E.S., Hartlepool. 



