114 TH!i KNTOMOLOGIST's III'X'OKD. 



caught. Some twenty-four miles further south, at Indis, we caught on 

 a patch of alfalfa a few Letnoniaa /xilnwri, a scarce thing, and also saw 

 Anosia jilexippiis [arc/iippua] , Colias eiirytheine, Terias 'nicijipc. many 

 Dione vaniUae, a number of " skippers," Pi/rameis canlni, I', hiintera, 

 P. canjae, and a few of the smaller Lycaenidae. A specimen of that 

 lovely blue-black Atlidea halesiis 1 just failed to capture. While there 

 we visited a date factory and orchard, where we saw the process 

 of date culture, from the " cradle to the grave " as it were. There 

 were over 2,000 trees in bearing, each with about 50 lbs. on them. 

 Belling as they do here at 50 cents a lb. I should fancy there would 

 be a handsome profit. 



On this trip (December) we only spent from Saturday night until 

 Monday morning. Four of us slept under the stars and two occupied 

 a small shack. About three a.m. I was aroused by an overpowering 

 smell and then heard my friends inside laughing. When we came to 

 sum up we found that a skunk had forced his way into the cabin, 

 presumably after the chicken, which formed part of the provisions. 

 Anyhow he was disturbed and promptly went but left his card behind 

 him. It was not so bad as it might have been, but was bad enough 

 and made it uncomfortable for all that Sunday. We were surprised 

 to learn of a skunk being able to pick up enough nourishment in such 

 a dry locality, as where we were was right m the desert. All that 

 day we were collecting, but considering it was December 11th there was 

 not much about. Strange to me was the fact of so many A. striyosa 

 still being about ; a few I caught were in excellent condition, some 

 were badly battered; one pair 1 caught in coitu. I presume it may 

 hibernate there although when we were there in the March previously 

 we saw no signs of it. I do not know its food plant and 1 do not see 

 where it can feed, the trees seem to be all limbs and tiny grey shrivelled 

 looking leaves. The only flowers that were out were of the sand 

 verbena (and the small flowering trees) that was scattered in patches for 

 miles. The temperature in the daytime was about 80^ and at night 

 about 50°. 



We have not had any rain now for about two months and the hose 

 is in constant use, and even with that I cannot prevent my lawn being 

 scorched. For an easterner these are really glorious days, a brilliant 

 sun in an Italian blue sky ad infinitum apparently. I have just noticed 

 (December 14th) in my gar len now, one Kin-u)i('SHa antiopa, one 

 P)/iaiiifis corihii, two Terias iiicippe, one Pieris rapae, one /'. jtrotodice, 

 one Hesperia tessellata, one Culias eurytlieine, a few bees and grass- 

 hoppers, one humming-bird, a few linnets (Californian), and two 

 mocking-birds. Hollyhocks, antirrhinums, petunias, portulacca, ver- 

 bena, sweet peas, stocks, sunflowers, nasturtiums, candytuft and roses 

 everywhere, all just coming into full bloom. The dahlias succumbed 

 to a frost a few weeks ago. 



I wished I could send you some of the barrel cactus [Echuiocactus 

 wislizeni] that I saw on Sunday, great fellows five feet high. Frost 

 does not occur where they grow, nor snow. 



i:;»\ T E S ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



CoLEOPTEHA Rkcords. — Cussida viniraea. Four specimens were 

 taken flying, one in Barnstaple and three on Braunton Burrows 



