NOTES, CAPTUKES, ETC. 57 



remained in the cocoon all the winter. I was staying at Grooni- 

 bridge, and the day being very hot and one suitable for collecting 

 Diurni I started off to walk to Crowborough Beacon, a distance 

 of some miles. Thinking that perhaps the female might attract 

 a male or two on the way I took her with me, having first placed 

 her in a chip-box with a piece of gauze over the top instead of a 

 lid, and this box was in turn placed inside a small zinc collecting- 

 case and consigned to one of my pockets. I met with several 

 butterflies on the way, and had entirely forgotten that the 

 B. quercus female was in my pocket, until, having arrived at 

 Crowborough and whilst standing on the stone which marks the 

 spot where the beacon fires were lighted in the old days, I was 

 surprised to see a male flying round and round, dashing towards 

 me, and then again going away in a most excited fashion. I was 

 at a loss to account for this strange conduct, until I recollected 

 the female which I had placed in my pocket on starting, and 

 which doubtless was now the cause of the wild performance. My 

 attempt to net this individual was unsuccessful, after which he 

 took his departure. I now took the female moth from my 

 pocket and from the zinc box; and having arrived at the 

 southern slope of the beacon, which is very heathy and scattered 

 with numerous gorse bushes, I sat down, after placing the chip- 

 box containing the moth on the top of a gorse bush close b}'. I 

 had hardl}' been settled three minutes before I observed a male 

 flying wildly around and gradually approaching the box, whereupon 

 I netted him. As long as I remained at the spot, which was for 

 about half an hour, there was a constant flow of suitors for the 

 moth imprisoned in the box, there being sometimes as many as 

 three at the same time all darting about and encircling the bush 

 on which I had placed the box. On my return journe}^ I carried 

 the female in my net, and succeeded in luring several males from 

 the hedges as I passed. The sudden and unexpected way in 

 which they appeared was most remarkable, for one could never 

 see whence they came. One would see a large insect careering 

 wildly about in front; the next instant it would dash past, but 

 immediately turn and follow in my wake ; and if I placed the 

 box on the ground (which I generally did when I saw a male 

 approaching) it gradually drew, in a zigzag flight, near the object 

 of its attentions, and when close to the box it would perform a 

 regular war-dance on the ground, jumping up and downi as if it 



ENTOM. FEB. 1888. G 



