NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 325 



appears to be connected in some way or other with a small 

 membranous capsule, which is situated on either side of the 

 body at the base of the abdomen, and which is covered with some 

 hairs, which can be made to vibrate. I am convinced that the 

 squeaking of the moth is connected with the proboscis, for when 

 holding them in my fingers by the base of the wings, prior to 

 chloroforming them, and they have been squeaking loudly, 

 expressing apparently their disapproval of the retention, the 

 instant I pressed the tongue the sound ceased. I have to-day 

 (November 5th) been experimenting with an uncommonly noisy 

 specimen recently emerged, and am certain that it is by the 

 proboscis that the squeaking is produced. This may be confirmed 

 also by holding the moth to the ear whilst it is emitting its cries, 

 when it will be at once detected that it is from the mouth that 

 they proceed. But though the tongue may likewise be the organ 

 of the sound emanating from the pupa, I am at a loss to under- 

 stand the way in which it is made by the larva. — Joseph 

 Anderson, jun. ; Chichester, November, 1885. 



Relation between British and Japanese Insects. — At a 

 recent meeting of the Asiatic Society of Japan (reported in the 

 'Japan Mail'), a paper, by Mr. H. Pryer, was read on the 

 relation between the Lepidoptera of Great Britain and Japan. 

 From the statistics given it appears that about 16 per cent, 

 of the British species are found in Japan. At first sight there 

 does not seem to be any strong resemblance between the 

 Japanese and British specimens of certain species ; but the 

 differences are demonstrably due simply to the effect of 

 temperature. In Japan the temperature forms are very 

 numerous, because of the fluctuations in temperature which 

 are so peculiar to the country. When the great distance 

 separating the countries, and the striking climatic differences 

 are considered, the identity of such a large percentage of species 

 is a fact of the highest interest to the entomologist. 



Economy of Geotrupes stercorarius. — I observed that 

 only a few straggling specimens of this beetle were to be seen 

 this summer, until the break-up of the drought in August, when 

 the insects appeared numerously. It may be assumed, therefore, 

 that most of them were earth-bound, and unable to work up to the 

 surface till the soil was loosened by rain. No beetle, I believe, is so 



