NOTES OK COLLECTING. 123 



saw Uela.strina argiulim flying at East Dulwich on April 7th, which 

 date struck me as being early. — Id. 



Xylina ornitopus, Rutt. — In the April, 1911, number of the 

 Ivnt. Record, vol. xxiii., p. 97, Mr. Dadd proposes the name var. 

 lactipennLs for the pale form of the above species, which is taken 

 in the New Forest. As however Mr. Warren in " Seitz' Palearctic 

 Lepidopt'era " (published April 25tb, 1910), on page 25 of the Noctuae 

 letterpress, says, " the whiter forms are separated as ab. iialiida, 

 Spul.," Mr. Dadd's name would appear to fall. Although the figure 

 on plate 30/<, of Seitz is not so pale as our New Forest specimens, 

 probably due to the printing, the above description and name of 

 Spuler's would cover them. In conclusion I should like to mention, 

 that the blue-grey form occurs rarely in the New Forest. I took one 

 in October, 1906, two in October, 1909, and one in October, 1910. — 

 Id. 



Phryxus LivoBNicA. — A friend of mine, Mr. 8treeter, of Pet worth, 

 Sussex, had a specimen of P. livoniica (The Striped Hawk Moth) 

 brought to him on July 2nd, 1911, by a boy, who took it the day 

 before at rest on some grass. He had kept it in a box overnight, and 

 from its condition I should say it was freshly emerged when taken. — Id. 



The Cleansing of Greasy Insects. — A New Solvent. — I have at 

 last discovered a simple and absolutely effective system of treating 

 greased lepidoptera which I venture to publish, hoping that it may 

 prove as great a boon to others as it has to me. I have tried so many 

 things with such indifferent success that I have often felt inclined 

 to throw away badly greased moths. Toluol has been a revelation to 

 me. Procure from your druggist a quart of toluol — C H® is the formula 

 I believe — it is cheap and will get rid of the grease in a very large 

 collection. This is how you should apply the cure; take three vessels, 

 size according to your needs, pour a certain quantity of toluol into the 

 first and put one or two butterflies or moths into the same. Leave 

 them there for 24 hours and then pass them on to a second bath in 

 the second vessel for another 24 hours, and place new subjects in the first 

 bath. On the third day remove insects from the second into the third 

 bath and from first into second. Thus each has three full days of 

 the cleaning process and comes out of his bath spick and span and 

 wonderfully rejuvenated. 1 need hardly add that no resetting is 

 required as the bath does not in the least relax the patient. The first 

 bath takes out the worst of the fat, the second removes what is left 

 and the third puts on the final touch of grace. Even the oiliest of my 

 Cossids tias yielded to the persuasions of this bath. To try it is to use 

 it, as the advertisements say. Those who despair of effecting a radical 

 grease cure and who refuse to give this method a trial are humbly 

 requested to make me a present of their greasy treasures. Don't 

 forget to cover up your vessels with pieces of glass to prevent 

 evaporation of the toluol. — P. A. H. Muschamp, F.E.S., Stafa, 

 Zurichersee. 



Second Broods in 1911. — Having obtained ova last year from 

 two females of Aifji/nnin tKjlaia, which I had sleeved over a large clump 

 of garden pansy planted in a box, I placed them outdoors, expecting 

 them to hatch and proceed to hibernate in due course. In late autumn 

 I had occasion to look at the box, and to my surprise found that the 

 food-plant had been completely devoured and the larvae, which were 

 all more than half -grown, had succumbed for want of food. 



