188 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



1889, and I netted a few myself in the first week of June, flying at birch 

 trees. I have nover heard of its being recorded from Aberdeen before. — 

 L. G. EssoN ; 40, North Charlotte Street, Aberdeen, N.B. [This species 

 usually frequents sallow or willow, and flies late at night. — Ed.] 



Pseudo-melanism. — Dr. T. A. Chapman first drew ray attention to the 

 fact that certain species of Noctufe appear to be raelaiiic when worn. 

 Acvonycta ])si, apart from the fact that there are dark varieties, exhibits 

 this apparently melanic tendency, specimens of the pale form appearing 

 much darker when they begin to be worn. Leucania conir/em and T<nw)- 

 campa minlosa exhibit this peculiarity in a very marked degree: Oporina 

 fwcecifjo, also, to a less extent. I have noticed the same tendency in 

 Mamestra sordida, Hecatera serena, and Aplecta vehulosa. It would be 

 interesting to know what other species exhibit this tendency. — J. W. Tutt ; 

 Westcombe Park, S.E. 



Extraction of Moth from Pupa. — Last year I had about a dozen 

 pupae of Dicranura vinula, and in May most of them had emerged ; but one, 

 though it had already made a small perforation in the cocoon, seemed from 

 some cause unable to make its escape. Having waited for a day, and seeing 

 that the insect still remained the same, I carefully peeled off a small portion 

 of the cocoon, taking especial care not to injure the enclosed insect. The 

 imago then crawled out, but its wings never expanded, although there is no 

 doubt but that the experiment was made at the right time. It seems that 

 assisting moths to emerge is more likely to result in cripples than to prove 

 successful.— H. D. Sykes; "The Cedars," Enfield, May 13, 1889. 



[There would seem to be as much evidence that the moth was imperfect 

 originiilly, and that this caused non-emergence, as that the assistance was 

 the cause of crippling. Perhaps the pupa was kept too dry. — Ed.J 



The Yeixow tinge of some newly-emerged Moths. — Mr. F. W. 

 Paple has some interesting remarks in the December No. of ' Science Gossip,' 

 1888, relative to the yellow tinge of newly-emerged examples of Leucoma 

 salicis, which he attributes to " the fluids contained in the wings not being 

 completely absorbed." In this connection I may mention that I bred some 

 specimens of Gnophcclavermiculata from larvte found here on Mertensia, and 

 on July 4lh took note of a freshly-emerged example. The white portions 

 of the wings were decidedly tinged with yellow, tending to primrose, while 

 the white lateral marks on the body were without any of the yellow tinge. 

 Probably this yellow tinge is observable in other white Bombycid moths on 

 emergence, but it seems not to have been generally noticed. — T. D. A. 

 CocKERELL ; West Cliff, Colorado. 



The destruction of Lepidopterous Laky.e by Summrr Frosts. — 

 With regard to this question (Entom. 1G4), I should have imagined that 

 larvae accustomed to a warm temperature generally, would be liable to be 

 destroyed by a sudden fall to the freezing-point, in tiie same way that plants 

 of differ kinds suffer. Some of the imagines perish from the same causes. 

 Newman observes of the males of Cidaria iniata, " it is presumed he perishes 

 Avith the early frosts." Kollar on 'Insects Injurious to Gardeners,' &c., 

 observes in the chapter, "Means of Defence against Noxious Insects ": — 

 " Late frosts are also very beneficial, as they entirely destroy many insects 

 in their larva state. I had an opportunity, early in the summer of 1833, 



