THE SUMMER SEASON OF 1898. 279 



larvae, or it will soon be added to the list of extinct species. In 

 my opinion this is one of the (if not the) only species of Macro - 

 Lepidoptera which needs " protection," especially in its gregarious 

 larval stage. 



Amongst Geometrre, Anticlea rubidata was in swarms, it being 

 easy to net three or four at a time, mostly fine. I succeeded in 

 obtaining ova also of this species for my friend Mr. Abbott. After 

 a long experience of collecting at Freshwater, my notes of the 

 1898 season show an abnormal abundance (comparatively) of 

 A. cinerea, S. irrorella, A. rubidata, N. saponarice, A. putris, 

 M. anceps, and A. corticea, with a scarcity of A. lucernea. 



On July 25th I started for South Devon, a cross-country 

 route taking up nearly the whole day. The heat was abnormal, 

 and tourists objectionally plentiful en route, entomological para- 

 phernalia being quite out-classed by cameras and bicycles. I 

 arrived at my destination weary and dry, but fortunately in time 

 for the ever-ready treacle-pot and net. Casual search during a 

 long walk to my collecting ground revealed a few larvae of 

 Heliothis peltigera feeding on small plants of Hyoscyamus niger ; 

 time did not allow of a careful search, which was postponed till 

 the morrow. Dusk revealed the fact that Lithosia caniola was 

 scarcer than usual, which is not surprising, seeing that it 

 straggled out until early September, when I took my last fine female. 

 Sugar also proved very little use, and consequently Leucania 

 putrescent has remained a scarcity in my store-boxes this season. 

 Persevering work every night, good or bad weather, brought 

 together, however, a few of each species, but in spite of all our 

 efforts the great success of the previous season was not repeated, 

 Laphygma exigua and Leucania albipuncta neither rewarding our 

 most zealous efforts during August. Caradrina ambigua occurred 

 singly upon the very same date of its first appearance in 1897 

 (about Aug. 5th), but did not come at all freely until a fortnight 

 or so later. Our first success was Aug. 23rd, when a good 

 H. armigera was taken at 11.30 p.m. at sugared flowers of 

 Knautia arvensis, a second and very worn one being captured 

 Sept. 13th. On Aug. 27th sugar suddenly became very attrac- 

 tive, the weather having broken utterly, and cold driving showers 

 falling all day, until 4 p.m., when the sun broke through. The 

 evening was bitterly cold, and the herbage soaking, completely 

 wetting one through and chilling to the marrow. Nocture evi- 

 dently, like water companies, were tired of the drought, and 

 simply swarmed, Phlogophora meticulosa, Noctua xanthographa, 

 P. gamma in excess ; but I think I counted up to twenty-six or 

 twenty-seven different species of Nocture, although the late 

 autumn species had not shown up at all, even Xanthia circellaris 

 not coming until Sept. 12th. So excited were the dissipated 

 crowd that I found Noctua c-nigrum in cop. with N. xanthographa. 

 However, my principal capture was Leucania vitellina, of which 



