N0CTU.15 IN HUNTINGDONSHIRE. 127 



of third 90, of fourth 120 — these measurements from a male; claws 

 of female simple, frout claws of male cleft ; mandibles of female 

 greatly broadened, except the falcate apex. The claws are those of 

 Cockereilia. 



Hah, Cotiilla, Texas, May 5tli, 1905, at flowers of Coreopsis 

 cardaminefol'ia (DC.) ; two of each sex (W. D. Pierce). Sent by 

 Mr. Crawford. 



(To be continued.) 



NOCTURE IN HUNTINGDONSHIRE, 1905, and a SEQUEL 

 IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHANCERY. 



By G. Lissant Cox & Justin Brooke. 



During last year's beautiful summer the writers spent an all 

 too short holiday of eighteen days — namely, from June 17th to 

 July 4th — collecting in various parts of Huntingdonshire. 



We concentrated our efforts almost entirely on the Noctuae, 

 and in this brief time either captured or observed no less than 

 seventy-one species. This large number was mainly due to the 

 extraordinary attractions of sugar. Our red-letter day was June 

 27th, when the average number per tree was one hundred and 

 fifty, and the limits of belief are almost reached when one of us, 

 on a small oak, counted two hundred and eighty insects. Truly 

 an emharras de richesses ! The entire treacle-patch would be 

 covered, while a jostling crowd carpeted the ground and herbage 

 at the foot of every tree. Still more wonderful, perhaps, was 

 the fact that many moths would fly wildly around and around 

 the sugarer, when, only shortly after sunset, the night's round 

 was being prepared. A few actually committed suicide by flying 

 right into the tin ! 



This attraction showed an interesting gradual increase from 

 June 17th to the 27th, and then an almost uniform decrease. By 

 July 19th only as many units were seen as thousands a month 

 previously. There were no aphides till July. 



In Mr. A. E. Gibbs's interesting article on " The Insects of 

 the Cornish Coast " {ante, p. 4) it appears that sugar was very 

 attractive in Cornwall, and that Agrotis exdamatioms was by far 

 the commonest insect at the end of June. This was also our 

 experience in Huntingdonshire, where this insect came to sugar 

 in almost incredible numbers. 



We had intended to take a continuous series of readings 

 during each night from a wet and dry bulb thermometer. W^e 

 were, however, but two instead of four, and our good resolutions 

 fell through. We did note the temperature before we set out, 

 and after coming home, but, unfortunately for accurate work, 



