NOTES ON COLLECTING. 19 



Searching foe nests of Formica rufa. — Hearing that there were 

 nests of Fonnica rufa in a wood near here this autumn, I met the 

 keeper, and we had no diflicultj^ in finding one at the edge of a path. 

 Other nests were more difficult to find as they were placed in very 

 thick undergrowth. The wood had been cleared two years before and 

 small fir-trees had been planted. It had not, however, been " grubbed " 

 and the stumps of the trees and briars were growing freely. It 

 seemed rather a hopeless place to look for nests, but the keeper pointed 

 out to me that when a nest was placed in thick undergrowth, the 

 latter was evidently well nourished, as it was taller than the 

 surrounding herbage and of a darker green. After this I had no 

 difficulty in locating nests from some yards' distance, although they 

 were always quite hidden from view ; but sometimes they proved to 

 be uninhabited.— Norman H. Joy, Bradfield. December ith, 1907. 



Late appearances of Lepidoptera in 1907. — With reference to 

 Mr. Raleigh S. Smallman's note [Ent. Bee, xix., p. 263) in which he 

 states that he noticed several specimens of Coenonyuipha pawphilus, 

 Epinephele janira and Pieris rapae on the wing, near Jevington, on 

 October 5th last, it may be of interest to mention that, on the previous 

 day, whilst recruiting my health in a very warm spot on the South 

 Devon coast, I captured or observed five Epinephele janira (all are 

 believed to have been females — four certainly were so — and one or two 

 were in really good condition), one Ruwicia phlaeas, one Polyommatns 

 icariis (male), two or three Fierh rapae, and, I believe, one P. brasxicae, 

 which, however, was not near enough for certain identification. These 

 late appearances are especially remarkable in view of the locality being 

 so exceptionally warm. In proof of the abnormal scarcity of autumn 

 butterfiies in the disappointing season now fast drawing to a close, I 

 may add that the only other butterflies seen, during the two hours and 

 a half of bright hot sunshine on the date in question, were one Pyraiiicis 

 cardui, one or two P. atalanta, and two or three Aylais urticae. — 

 Eustace R. Bankes, M.A., F.E.S., Norden, Corfe Castle. November 

 22nd, 1907. 



Note on British records or Sirex juvencus. — Referring to Mr. 

 Joseph Anderson's note {Ent. Pee., xix., p. 265) in which he records 

 the occurrence of " Sire.v jiire)iciis" at Chichester, may I ask whether 

 he is quite certain that the species in question is the true Sirex jit vencits, 

 F. ? 1 have no wish whatever to be unduly sceptical, but, remembering 

 that, in Ent. Mo. Man., ser. 2, xv., p. 34 (1901), the Rev. F. D. Morice 

 wrote as follows : " Specimens of nnrtilin, F., are, I believe, constantly 

 recorded in this country under the name juveiinis, F., and I have 

 probably named them so for correspondents myself. But if the true 

 jiirenrua occurs at all in Britain, it must be very rare. I have it from 

 Switzerland, but have never seen a British specimen which I can con- 

 fidently refer to it," one feels obliged to mistrust all British records of 

 jiivencKs which do not rest upon the authority of an expert who is well 

 acquainted with both jurencus and noctilis. — Eustace R. Bankes, M.A., 

 F.E.S., Norden, Corfe Castle. November 23rd, 1907. 



Larvae of Lepidoptera from Bellingham, North Tyne. — An 

 account of a ramble in this district may be interesting, as records seem 

 Fcarce from this locality. The occasion was a field excursion of the 

 Newcastle and Durliam Natural History Society, made on June 26th. 

 Journeying from Newcastle, one had ample time to read in the train 

 accounts of the arctic summer and feel thankful that, so far, this 



