NOTES ON COLLECTING, 299 



losa, and Xylophasia sablustris, but the utter failure of treacle prevented 

 my testing Witherslack's resources in this group. Several plumes, 

 besides those mentioned, occurred at dusk, including Miiiinesenptilus 

 bipunctidartyla, Platuptilia pallidacti/la, and Xiidaria mundana, literally 

 swarmed round the stone walls. They were very rarely detected 

 during the daytime, probably hiding in the crevices, but from the 

 very earliest dusk they appeared in dozens, rarely straying many feet 

 away from the walls. The only Hijpdpetcs elutata netted gave promise 

 of a variable race — almost black, with scarcely any markings. Another 

 week might have given me an interesting series. Other species at 

 dusk were Kmiiwlesia alcheniillata and liivula sericcaUs somewhat com- 

 monly, and a single Eupithecia constrictata. The habit of the latter of 

 flying round the yews was not known to me at the time, or I might 

 have had a good number. Cidaria populata and Fseudoterpna prninata 

 occurred singly, and Eubolia palnwbaria, Lomaspilis marf/inata, Melan- 

 thia ocellata, and Khulea crocealis somewhat commonly. Fidnnia 

 piniaria flew at dusk, as well as by day, among the pines. I only saw 

 males, but these seemed to be of a much whiter ground colour than 

 our southern form. Of course July is late for the species, but even 

 in some fresh-looking specimens there was no trace of the yellow 

 ground colour so familiar in Surrey and Hants. Dusking in a small 

 wood, half a mile down the Grange Koad, produced many of the same 

 species, but nothing in addition, except a curious lot of i'abera exan- 

 theniaria. These were an ill-developed race, found at one spot only, 

 where several fresh specimens were taken minus one or both hind 

 wings. Everywhere else the species was quite normal. I met with, 

 and recorded, a similar brood of Cidaria testata in Wicken Fen in 1899. 

 What is the cause of this: local failure to develop hindwings ? The 

 specimens fly quite readily, though of course somewhat feebly. 

 Although the time was all too short, and much ground left untouched, 

 I could not resist trying for Krebia cpiphron. Two day trips were made 

 to Ambleside, the first to the Kirkstone Pass and over the eastern and 

 southern sides of Red Skrees, being a total failure. Mdantlda albicil- 

 lata, Xndaria mundana, and Melanippe trii^tata were taken ofT walls on 

 the way up to the pass, and some strongly marked Fieris napi netted 

 on the higher levels ; Erebia epiphron, however, failed to put in an 

 appearance. On the second trip (July 11th) I determined to go 

 farther afield. Again ascending the Kirkstone Pass, I, this time, 

 climbed right over Red Skrees, from opposite the Kirkstone Inn. For 

 some three hours I wandered round on the high fells towards Gras- 

 mere and Helvellyn, without seeing a sign of my quarry, only getting 

 some nice Cranduis fur cat ell us and a single Neineophila plantaf/inis. 

 Late in the afternoon I found the species, its unmistakable sooty ap- 

 pearance being very conspicuous at quite a distance. It was exceed- 

 ingly local, and confined to a few acres of rather marshy ground, to 

 all appearance exactly like that over which I had been working all the 

 afternoon. Probably early in the day it would have been abundant. 

 As it was I got 24 very fair specimens, and a little later on three more, 

 some 500 feet lower down. As nearly as I can ascertain the elevation 

 of the first locality was 2300ft. -2400ft. An attempt to obtain ova 

 proved successful, and with a view to the best chance of bringing the 

 larvae through hybernation I distributed them between Messrs. E. Joy 

 and L. W. Newman. I do not know whether the full-grown larva has 



