188 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Coverdale's sj'stein becomes fashionable it will doubtless be so 

 because its advocates will have had the moral courage to set their 

 insects in the new style for the sake of the advantages it offers over 

 our present style of setting insects by pinning them through the 

 thorax. Some of our friends prefer to see their specimens with 

 apices of wings touching the paper of the cabinet drawers, while 

 others set sufficiently high to brush beneath the wings, and so 

 keep the paper clear of dust, or the more readily to see the traces 

 of cabinet enemies. By the Coverdale system we can have the 

 moths close to the glass covering the drawers, and thus in a 

 better position for observation. Another advantage is that no 

 evil effects can occur from oxidization of the pins and the irritating 

 " springing " of the wings in consequence. Some collectors may 

 object to it because it will be necessary for them to take a little 

 more pains in setting, but their correspondents might not share 

 the same objection when receiving insects from them. Others 

 will not like it because it will be impossible to take up an insect 

 with the fingers, and will even require a modification of the 

 forceps at present used for that purpose. Whatever may be the 

 future for the Coverdale setting, it is a very remarkable innova- 

 tion, and one well worth stud3\ The examples sent are beautiful 

 enough to tempt one to seriously think of making a new collection 

 set after Mr. Coverdale's new fashion. — John T. Carringtox.] 



NOTES ON THE AGROTLDM. 

 By J. W. TuTT. 



If your correspondent, Mr. Gardner, had given my note 

 respecting the Agrotis the most cursory attention, he would not 

 have credited me with coming to the conclusion that Agrotis 

 tritici and A. nigricans were one and the same species. I have 

 come to the very decided opinion, as I expressed in my previous 

 note, that A. ohelisca and A. aqiiilina are only divergent forms of 

 A. tritici; and until they are bred from eggs I shall most likely 

 hold the same opinion. All my remarks concerning A. nigricans 

 were to show that my experience led me to believe that it was 

 specifically distinct. I have bred a number of nigricans, and 

 never seen a tritici among them ; and in localities where 



