138 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



super-spiracular larger ones, these all form longitudinal rows. 

 The thorax is also spotted with black ; the frontal knob, dorsal 

 and lateral keels, as well as two spots on the prothorax and a 

 spot at the base of the wings and anal extremity, are all yellow. 

 The whole surface is irrorated, and, excepting the wings, it is 

 sprinkled with very fine extremely minute hairs. The ground 

 colour is liable to vary as well as the size of black markings. 

 Those that pupated in coloured boxes (which I put the larv£e in 

 when ready to pupate) were affected by certain colours, as those 

 in yellow produced decidedly yellow puppe ; blue and green had 

 the same effect of producing green pupae, those on black and 

 grey surfaces became greyer, and those on white whiter. 

 During June, 1905, forty-eight perfect imagines emerged. 



NOTES AND OBSEEVATIONS. 



A New Preventive of Gnat-bites. — All those who study natural 

 history in the field must have felt the want of a good preparation to 

 repel the attacks of flies, gnats, and midges, which in many localities 

 often make collecting anything but a pleasure. Two or three seasons 

 ago the writer discovered a substance which is thoroughly efficacious, 

 and quite harmless to a sensitive skin, besides possessing an odour 

 rather pleasant than otherwise. Several medical friends and other 

 entomologists have used this, and are united in its praise ; sometimes 

 we have even taken a siesta on a hot afternoon where flies were 

 swarming, without having been annoyed or even disturbed by them. 

 In boggy woods, such as the Lancashire mosses, where biting gnats, 

 &c., abound, it is best to rub a little of the liquid upon the exposed 

 parts of the skin before going into the wood ; but for day flies, such as 

 the larger Diptera, it is often sufficient to sprinkle a little upon the cap. 

 The feeling with which one sees a voracious gadfly or "cleg" come 

 chargmg down, only hurriedly to change his course when the aroma 

 strikes him, is. to say the least, very gratifying. Being of the nature 

 of a slowly volatile essential oil, the liquid does not damage one's 

 clothing in any way ; under the registered title, " Terrifly," it is packed 

 in a bottle convenient for the pocket, and containing about sufficient 

 for a season. Further particulars will be found on the advertisement 

 page. — Wm. Mansbridge ; Liverpool. 



Larvae of A. contiguaria. — When larvse- hunting in North Wales 

 at Easter, I was very pleased to find ten larvae of A. contignaria, feed- 

 ing ou Cotyledon mnbilicus, among heather, in a very sheltered corner 

 on the rocks. Though I have searched carefully for the past five or 

 six years for this larva, I have never before been able to discover it 

 feeding either by day or night ; nor do I remember to have seen any 

 record of its capture. It has been bred in odd specimens from a mis- 

 cellaneous lot of larv£e, but not identified until the perfect insect 

 emerged. — Robert Tait, Jr. ; Eoseneath, Ashton-on-Mersey, Cheshire. 



Brief Note on Hawaiian Butterflies. — Meyrick incorrectly writes 

 the name of our native Vanessid " Vanessa tammcamea " (1899 Fauna 



