256 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



vei'}^ disheartening, especially to a hard-working entomologist. I 

 agree with your York correspondent in the July number of the 

 ' Entomologist ' as to the cause of the scarcity of Lepidoptera. — 

 R. W. Hughes; 24, Church Street, Blaenau, Festiniog, N. Wales. 



Lepidoptera in Aberdeen and Kincardineshire. — Insects 

 in this part of the country have been exceedingly scarce this 

 season, especially at sugar, only a very few of the more common 

 species putting in an appearance. In the month of May scarcely 

 an insect was to be seen at sugar, however fine the weather. June 

 was somewhat better, but the insects which in former years used 

 to come to sugar in great abundance, such as Cymatophora 

 duplaris, Acronycta menyanthidis, Hadena adusta, and H. rect'dinea, 

 I could only find about half a dozen of each this season, although I 

 sugared three or four times a week ; and in July could only find Ti'i- 

 phcena orbona and T.pronuba. Along the coast of Kincardineshire 

 in July I had more success. Argynnis Aglaia, A. Selene, Satyrus 

 Janira, Lyccsna Alexis, and L. Artaxerxes were fairl}^ common, 

 but the usually common L. Alsus were not to be seen. Hepicdus 

 lupulinus, H. velleda, H. humnli, Zygcena jUipendulce, and Lithosia 

 complanula were by no means scarce. Of Dasydia obfuscata only 

 a few, but in fine condition. Pliisia bractea last year turned up 

 about the end of Jul}^ but as yet has not been seen. Larvae 

 seem to be more abundant : Trichiura cratcegi, Bombyx calluncB, 

 Satiirnia carpini, Dicranura vimda, Notodonta dictcea, N. ziczac, 

 Acronycta menyanthidis, and A. myricoi were quite plentiful. One 

 curious fact I should like to mention regarding Plusia interroga- 

 tionis larvse. On May 27th I took about a dozen of the above 

 larvae, and, strange to say, only got one single imago, all the 

 others being filled with ichneumon larvae ; while in former years I 

 scarcely ever failed in rearing them.— J. Mundie ; 22, Watson 

 Street, Aberdeen, August 4, 1882. 



Lepidoptera in Scotland. — Observing the different reports 

 of collectors on the scarcity of Lepidoptera this season, my 

 experience at Dollar, near Stirling, and also in the neighbourhood 

 of Edinburgh, may perhaps be interesting to some of your 

 readers. Butterflies have all the season been very scarce ; even 

 Pieris rapes and P. brassicce, which are generally very numerous 

 in these districts, have been unusually rare. Calocampa exoleta, 

 C. vetusta, Hadenapisi, H. oleracea, Tripluena orbona, T.janthina, 



