2 (January, 



eountry which is not kept in a high state of cultivation, though it 

 would appear to be of little value for any other purpose — not even to 

 botanists or entomologists, except in a few secluded hollows, or the 

 rocky ravine of an occasional burn. The lonely wayside inn at Oykel 

 Bridge was reached about 6 p.m., and I can heartily commend it as an 

 excellent spot from which to work at the entomology of central 

 Sutherland. Like most of the inns of the extreme north, it is clean, 

 comfortable, unpretentious, and moderate in its charges, whilst its 

 owner is not only hospitable and obliging, but well equipped with 

 yehicles for driving to, and boats for fishing on, the neighbouring 

 moorland lochs, so that an entomologist experiencing a little Suther- 

 landshire "weather," is not altogether without resource. It is 

 situated at the bottom of the valley, close to the river Oykel, which 

 flows through a rocky channel, widening soon after passing the bridge 

 into a still loch. Fairly high hills surround the inn on all sides, the 

 brae to the north rises steeply from the river, and is clothed with an 

 extensive scattered birch wood. Here we decided to sugar, and to 

 try what we could net before dusk. A slight rain early in the evening 

 made the long grass and heather very wet, but it soon ceased, the sky 

 remaining overcast, and the wind blowing from the west. 



The trees selected for sugaring formed a round of about half a 

 mile, over which we netted the following species before it got dark 

 enough to light the lantern, viz. : Agrotis strigula (porphyrea) , Aci- 

 dalia fumata, Larentia viridaria (pectinitarin), Eupithecia nanata, 

 Melanthia ocellata, Scoparia amhigualis, Leioptilus tephradactylus, 

 Pleurota hicostella, and Argyresthia Ooedartella, none of which appear 

 to call for any special remark. About ten o'clock we commenced 

 looking at the sugar, although owing to its being still daylight, the 

 insects were very skittish, and we lost some. Cyviatoplwra duplaris 

 was present in large numbers, the worn condition of many of which 

 showed that it must have been out for some time. Others were in 

 fine condition, all rather large and dark grey, except the paler band 

 beyond the middle, and sometimes a pale grey base. Xylophasia rurea, 

 X. monoglypha (polyodon) (referred to later), a dark form of Apamea 

 gemina, closely resembling Mamestra furva, Garadrina quadripunctata 

 icubicularis) , much mottled with dark grey, and approaching more 

 than usual in appearance to G. morplieus, yet richer and more prettily 

 spotted, Noctua pJecta,N. brunnea, and J!^./estiva,most\y of more sombre 

 tints than the southern types, Mania typica and Euplexia lucipara 

 calling for no comment. Aplecta tincta was abundant, and in fine 

 condition, the specimens being richly coloured throughout, and the 



