68 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



plentiful for some weeks, together with A^. ruhi. T. subtiisa, one 

 example at rest on a fence on August 7th, about which date C. affinis 

 and, more rarely, C. diffinis began to show themselves at sugar. 

 G. nupta came to sugar for the first time on August 17th, a pair being 

 seen at Hatfield, Herts, on the previous day. P. atalanta was first 

 seen on September 2nd, and occasional specimens were seen up to 

 October 30th. A. pistacina and ^4. liticra came to sugar on Septem- 

 ber 26th, together with H. rostralis and one specimen of X. gilvago. 

 X. citrago did not appear this year. One example of C. edusa was 

 noted by my brother, Mr. J. C. Kershaw, at Fawkham on September 

 27th. .-1. lunosa and C. vaccinii came to sugar, October 1st; 

 apparently cannonading does not inconvenience insects at sugar. 

 S. satellitia and M. oxyacantJus were taken at sugar on October 31st, 

 but the variety capucina, which is usually more plentiful than the 

 type, was not seen. On November 14th a three-year-old pupa of 

 H. defoliaria disclosed a finely coloured insect. Curiously enough, 

 the winter heliotrope P.fragrans was in full flower on November 30th. 

 The trees in the West Wickham Wood appeared little the worse for 

 their recent visitation of T. viridana, and the examples seen of this 

 insect were about normal as regards numbers. Very large numbers 

 of larvae of C. trapezina, however, were noted, sometimes as m.any as 

 ten or twelve larvae falling to one blow of the beating stick. May 

 I take this opportunity of saying that I have a small larva of L. arion, 

 about -fV in. long, in spirits, if any one requires one for figuring or 

 dissection ? — G. Bertram Kershaw ; " Ingleside," West Wickham, 

 Kent. 



Pins and Verdigris. — Mr. Sheldon's observations on verdigris 

 {antea pp. 30-33) are extremely interesting. I have often wondered 

 whether the use of forceps with black and other pins has been the 

 cause of verdigris, by causing the layer of enamel or tin to shell off 

 and expose a particle of copper. I find, however, that if black pins 

 are closely examined almost every other pin (apart from the wasters 

 and stuck-together pins) has one or more minute " bubble " holes on 

 it, exposing the bare metal. I have often intended to try whether a 

 lacquer of platinic chloride on the old tinned pin would prevent 

 verdigris. If Mr. Sheldon would care to make the experiment I 

 should be happy to send him a minute phial of chloride, such as is 

 used by opticians for bronzing scientific instruments. The pins would 

 need to be absolutely freed from grease by an alkali, cleaned off, 

 warmed, and dipped in the solution when hot. Probably two dippings 

 would be required. Has Mr. Sheldon tried ether as well as toluol ? 

 — G. Bertram Kershaw ; 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W. 1. 



Formaldehyde for Fixing the Wings of Entomological 

 Specimens. — In my paper on " The Treatment of Entomological 

 Specimens Affected by Verdigris," in which I recommend the use of 

 the vapour of form.aldehyde for fixing the wings of relaxed micro 

 lepidoptera [antea pp. 30-33), I state that the use of this vapour, " so 

 far as I hioiv, has not been recommended for fixing those which have 

 been relaxed." This was strictly accurate, so far as my knowledge 

 went at the time the statement was made, but my attention since its 

 publication has been called to an article by Dr. St. John in the 



