220 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



the external surface of the abdomen as possible. The body should then 

 be secured, thoracic end up, and thoroughly dried in a current of warm, 

 dry air before being refixed in its original position. Of coarse several 

 bodies can be thus treated simultaneously. The advantages of distilled 

 water over the fluid supplied by the water companies are that it con- 

 tains neither organic matter nor salts, such as sulphates and chlorides, 

 and is consequently a much better solvent for the purpose ; and, 

 secondly, that the necessity for boiling, which must be very detrimental 

 to the tissues of the insect, is obviated. — H. Gtuard Knaggs ; London, 

 N.W., June 4th, 1894. 



Chariclea delphinii (Pease-blossom). — To my mind this is one 

 of the most beautiful of our British moths, and may briefly be 

 described as being of a pale greyish ochreous with a lovely tinge 

 of rose. The caterpillar is also a pretty creature, being of a reddish 

 or bluish white ; the food-plant is larkspur. Not having occurred 

 in England for a great many years, it has been erased from the British 

 lists, although it has as good a right to stand in them as CJirysopJuinus 

 dispar and Xoctua suhrosea, except, perhaps, that like P. moneta, it 

 may have been introduced into this country amongst garden plants. 

 Its caterpillar, though, is reported by Merian and Rosel to feed upon 

 the wild larkspur that grows among corn. Wilks informs us that as 

 long ago as 1773 this Hy had been bred in England by the Hon. 

 Mrs. Wither, and by Nathaniel Oldham, Esq., but was very rare. A 

 wing is said to have been found " at Bulstrode, in a spider's web, by 

 the celebrated Duchess of Portland ; and another in St. James's Park ; 

 and in July, 1799, Mr. W. Jones took a very perfect specimen in his 

 garden at Chelsea." Haworth informs us that these are the only 

 instances of its occurrence in England, and that it is so rare in 

 Germany as to sell for a guinea a pair. One specimen of delphinii 

 was sold in lot 3186 of the Duchess of Portland's effects, on May 27th, 

 1786. This is probably the specimen taken in St. James's Park. In 

 June, 1815, a specimen or two were taken at Windsor by Mr. Gries- 

 bach. In more recent times three specimens are recorded in the 

 ' Intelligencer ' for December 19th, 1857. — C. W. Dale; Glanvilles 

 Wootton, Sherborne, Dorset. 



' European Butterflies and Moths.' — Messrs. Cassell & Co. are 

 now publishing, in monthly parts, a new series of Kirby's ' European 

 Buttertlies and Moths.' At a recent auction sale a copy of the last 

 edition of this work realised twenty-six shillings. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



Early Dragonflies. — Despite the inclement weather I am able to 

 record several dragoudy captures, all in the neighbourhood of Oxshott, 

 Surrey. The lirst to fall to the net was a single specimen of Lihellida 

 quadrimacnlata on April 25th. It was weak on the wing, and appeared as 

 if only lately out. I took others, male and female, on April 29th, and 

 again on May 14th, while one was found at rest on the evening of May 



