A WEEK IN BRAEMAR. 85 



Oidaria populata occurred on the last two nights, and was 

 commonest on the edge of the wood. I should have liked another 

 week at this species, as the short series obtained showed remarkable 

 variation. Some of them were a deep unicolorous chocolate, with all 

 grades between this and the tjpe. I never worked this ground by day 

 myself, except running up in the early evening after //. hrmimata, but 

 on one afternoon when I was up Glen Callater, Mr. (jalpin took a few 

 Aricia medun (astrarchc) var. artaxerxes and saw some Xeineoii/iila planta- 

 (linis. Acidalia fninata was also rather commoner here than over the 

 other side, probably because everything this side was a little more 

 backward. A. medon var. attaxerxen was occasionally found at rest on 

 the heather at night, the white-spotted underside showing up very 

 clearly in the lamplight. Larvae of Safiirnia pamnio {rar}iini) and 

 Noctiia nei/lecta were also frequently found in the same way, and one 

 larva of Asphalia t^aricnrms was noticed on a small birch. 



We should have done much better with treacle a fortnight earlier, 

 as nearly everything was worn. I can imagine great work might be 

 done with Xoctna festira alone, some of the forms being very fine. 

 Two of the finest are a clear French-grey form, and another of the 

 same colour banded with chestnut. Both these forms were represented 

 only by bad and indifferent specimens, but I saw enough to make me 

 regret having missed this species even more than A. exidans. lladcna 

 (Hijppa) rectilinea was also over, only three specimens (two fair and 

 one poor) occurring on the 8th, and no others. The best series taken 

 at treacle were a fine dark lot of Hadena adiiUa, in good condition, 

 and there were also a few very rich Xi/lopJiasia rurea var. cniid)ii>ita, 

 but only a single specimen of the type. Few other Noctnae were seen ; 

 Xi/lop/iasia pnh/odoii was strictly typical — not the faintest sign of 

 darkening — and a few worn Nocfna ridti, X. ain/io-, Apanwa (/eiiiiiia, 

 and Caradrina cubindaris complete the list — not even the ubiquitous 

 Triphaena pronnha. The common Geometers M. iiKintaiuita and C. 

 pusaria, with an occasional C nninitata, were frequently attracted, and 

 Cidaria triincata was commoner on treacle than anywhere else. 



A long day spent up Glen Callater on the 12th, was planned 

 mainly to work for Larentia nificinctata, but as a thorough search over 

 its special ground up by the loch proved that it was not yet out, we 

 devoted ourselves to Coeiionynipha ti/p/ion and other things. A very fine 

 lot were taken, but they wanted picking over, and a few more nice dark 

 C. populata and occasional Cnreiuia iniinitata were walked up. This 

 was the one day when /'7. minorata (ericetata) was taken plentifully, 

 and Scopida alpi)ialh was commoner here than elsewhere. It affects 

 the grassy patches among the heather, and seems to be quite confined 

 to such spots. Several oddments, such as A. vwdon var. artaxerxe^, 

 Anarta )injrfilli, Craiiibus niart/aritelliis, a strongh^ marked Melanippe 

 sitbtristata, occasional Dasijdia nbfuscata and Plusia interro(jationis 

 and a lot of P/njcis carbnnariella made up a very big day's bag, and 

 every box I had was filled — many of them twice over. I found C. 

 typhon and E. minorata {ericetata) travelled quite well two in a box. 



P. carbonariella is an extraordinary insect. It swarmed on a burnt 

 patch of heather, where it was quite invisible at rest, and with the 

 exception of one or two on a similar patch over the Dee, not a specimen 

 was seen elsewhere. How do the}' find out these patches, and what 

 happens to them when the heather grows again and no more patches 



