THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 233 



Argynnis Lathonia at Broadslairs. — I sent you Lathonia 

 in great haste on Saturday evening, and may I beg your 

 acceptance of it. I have taken five near Broadstairs, all in 

 one tield, between St. Peter's and Broadstairs. 1 look one 

 three weeks ago in the same spot, which I sent to the Rev. 

 P. H. Jennings, of Longfield Rectory. I do not know how 

 they will travel, but they were all in good condition when 

 caught. — W. Wigan; Wincheap^ Canterhury, September 

 18, 1874. 



[Mr. Wigan has my sincere thanks for this valuable 

 present: it arrived in the finest state of health and activity. 

 1 trust that notice of any other captures of this butterfly will 

 be sent as soon as made. — E. A'ewman.] 



Snieriiithus ocellatiis emerging in September. — I had the 

 larvae of S. ocellatus feeding on apple through July : one 

 turned to a pupa on the 31st July, and scarcely buried itself; 

 it could be seen just under the surface of the earth, and came 

 out on the 1st of September quite perfect, and the colours 

 very clear and rich ; a male, but certainly smaller than 

 usual. Is it not an uncommon occurrence ? I ought to 

 have said that the cage was kept in a room with windows 

 looking to the north and east, and the cage quite away from 

 any sunlight. — H. C. Hodgea ; The Cottage, IValton-at- 

 Stone, near Hertford, September 12, 1874. 



[This is unusual, but I have known other instances. — 

 jE. Newman.'] 



The Plague of Ants. — Since so much has been written in 

 the newspapers lately concerning the so-termed "plague of 

 ants," perhaps the following may be of some interest : — When 

 travelling from Plymouth to Falmouth a gentleman mentioned 

 in the course of conversation that a remarkable incident had 

 occurred to some friends of his, on the 20lh of August last, 

 when cruising in their yacht off the Longships Lighthouse, on 

 the coast of Cornwall, about seven or eight miles from Fal- 

 mouth. They said that they had sailed through millions upon 

 millions of winged ants, and that the sea was for a long 

 distance black with them ; indeed, that they annised them- 

 selves for a long time in dipping them up in buckets, and 

 that the waves that the vessel threw off from her bow in 

 dividing the water were black instead of white. The 

 following I copied from a Plymouth newspaper: — "77<e xint 



2h 



