PRACTICAL HINTS. 265 



9. — The larva of Eupithecia arceuthata feeds on wild juniper, from 

 the end of September to the middle of November. It is seldom full- 

 fed till the end of October (Crewe). 



10.— The pupa of Kiijiit/wcia fra.rinata is to be found enclosed in a 

 cocoon under moss, on the trunks of ash trees, from September until 

 May. 



:]^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Stauropus fagi at Rkadixg. — StanropK-s faj/i was rather scarce 

 here this year, the first, a 3' , occurred on May 3rd, two ? s on j\lay 

 11th. The latter commenced depositing ova the same evening (both 

 batches fertile) ; one I gave to my old friend, the Rev. Canon B. Smith. 

 The first larva hatched May 27th (I gave them special attention this 

 year, as I had not had much s\iccess other seasons). They commenced 

 pupating on July 7th ; the first imago, a black g (ab. ohseura), 

 emerged on July 27th, an ordinary 5 on the 28th. I spoilt both 

 trying to get them to pair, as I did several more, but without success 

 (they all emerged between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m.). I had quite given it 

 up with disgust, when, on August 4th, at 7.30 a.m., on looking into 

 my cage, I was delighted to find a pair of the black ab. ohscura, in '-up. 

 At 8.30 a.m. they were still paired, but by 9 a.m. had separated. The 

 $ did not commence depositing until the evening of the 5th. The 

 first larva emerged on the 13th ; they were not out at 9 a.m., but by 

 12.30, eight were out. I should think I have quite 100, feeding well. 

 The spring lot were si.ctccn dai/fi before they hatched, the second brood 

 I'ii/ht ilai/s. As I have got them out so early, I think I stand a very good 

 chance of rearing them (I see Barrett says in his book, " a second 

 generation has never been observed to feed up in this country," so, if 

 that be so, I hope to beat the record). I have just received a letter from 

 Rev. B. Smith, congratulating me on my success. He says he has 

 bred a nice lot of imagines (from the eggs I sent him), but all the eggs 

 from pairing these have proved infertile. — W. E. Butlek, Hayling 

 House, Oxford Road, Reading. September 22iid, 1897. 



Notes on Sphinx convolvuli and Acherontia atropos. — ^Last 

 autumn was noted in East Anglia for the great abundance of two 

 Sphingids in diflerent stages — Sphinx cunrolndi and Acherontia 

 atropos. I saw as many as five of the former at one time, hovering 

 over a bed of petunias in the September twilight — I may here say 

 that the morning twilight, which lasts longer, is the better for 

 observation — and the larvae and pupae of the latter were very abundant 

 in West Suftblk and Cambridgeshire. But here the parallel ends : 

 during the 50 years I have been a collector, I have never come across 

 the larva of .S'. conrolruU, and I do not suppose that half-a-dozen 

 entomologists have seen it alive in this country, although it is said to 

 be not uncommon in parts of France and Germany, and no doubt the 

 perfect insects easily fly over to our East coast. The converse holds 

 good with A. atropos, as I have never seen the moth upon the wing, but 

 I am informed that it is a strong flier, and might easily be mistaken 

 for a bat. Last August I had many opportunities of seeing the larvae 

 and pupae. In my village, upwards of 20 were found, nearly all upon 

 patches of potato, and, in several cases, these patches were far away in 

 fields where no potato crop had previously been. In one case, the 



