NOTES ON COLLECTING. 249 



medon (astrarche) and var. salmacn, and some fine P. teams were taken ; 

 two nests of Vanessa io were noted. Dusking proved very disappoint- 

 ing after all I had heard of the locality, but this was probably owing 

 to the cold and damp nights that prevailed. The visit altogether was 

 a most interesting one, and I hope to repeat it another year. On July 

 7th larvffi of Celastrina arijiolns (this species appears to have been most 

 abundant this year) and Callophrijs riibi were taken on the berries of 

 dogwood at Reigate, but many of the former proved to be stung. 

 On Sunday, July 7th, an excursion was made to Deal, the objective 

 being larva of Pi/rameu cardui. A few were obtained, also ova and a 

 male just out. Full fed larvae of /'. atalanta were common on one big 

 bank of nettles and with them were taken larva? of P. cardui. The 

 latter seem to choose thistle for their food plant, but appear to be quite 

 content with nettle ; in my opinion those larva? brought up on nettle 

 produce finer pupa? than those reared on thistle, and I believe this 

 opinion to be shared by other entomologists. Mesotype lineolata 

 [viryata) was on the wing on the sandhills, but was getting worn, and 

 a female Sesia (Macroylussa) stellatarum was observed ovipositing on 

 lady's bedstraw. A trip to Margate, on July 21st, gave barren results, 

 it was apparently too soon for Colias edusa and things generally were 

 scarce. A search for ova of Celastrina aryiolus, at Reigate, on July 

 27th, resulted in two or three being discovered deposited on the un- 

 opened flower buds of bramble, but I doubt if they were so deposited 

 from choice. There is no ivy in the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 spot where the species occurs, and the question is upon what foodplant 

 does it deposit its ova. In a flowery field at Caterham, on August 

 ILth, the following butterflies were observed in the condition noted : — 

 Pieris rapae (good), Vanessa to and Pyranieis atalanta (fine), P. cardui, 

 Epinephele jurtina, Coenonywpha pamphilus (worn), Rumicia {f'hryso- 

 phanus) phlaeas (tine), Aricia medon [astrarche) (good), P.icarus, Ayriades 

 coridon, and Adopaea jiava {linea) (worn). My only Colias edusa was seen 

 on August 16th on waste ground in Kingsway within a hundred yards of 

 Holborn, surely a strange locality to find it in . The insect was busy visiting 

 the willow herb and other wild plants growing on the spot ; it was, I 

 think, a female, but a high fence prevented close inspection. Are the 

 larvje of Polia jlavicincta cannibalistic? I had a fine brood of them 

 from Cornish stock, but upon searching for the pupae where there should 

 have been a dozen, only one or two were found, the remainder had 

 disappeared without leaving a trace behind. I found the early part of 

 the year favorable for collecting, but upon the weather becoming bad 

 lepidoptera seemed to get scarce, and the wet weather which has 

 prevailed throughout the present month (August) has put a thorough 

 damper on everything. I have only tried sugaring once or twice and 

 then have met with no success. I am now hoping for a fine September 

 and October with which to finish the season. I shall be glad to learn 

 the experience of other collectors during the year. — A. Russell (F.E.S.), 

 " Wilverley," Dale Road, Purley, Surrey. Auyust 27th. 



CURRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 



The Collections of Insects in the Natural History Section of the 

 British Museum are no doubt far and away the richest in the world in 

 species and specimens of all orders. Huge additions are constantly 



