248 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD EEPORTS. 



SiREX GiGAS. — A fine specimen of Sirex gigas was brought to me on 

 July 20th, having been taken in a shop in this town. This species 

 occurred in the same shop some years ago, and within a few yards of the 

 localities of two other records of the same insect. — (Miss) E. M. Alderson ; 

 Worksop. 



LiBELLULA QUADRiMACULATA. — On June 10th, between Margate and 

 Broadstairs, I noticed a very unusual swarm of a dragon-fly which I believe 

 to be L. quadrimaculata. I think this was the same day that Mr. H. 

 Stocks saw them at Margate. I noticed also that they seemed to be flying 

 inland, and they certainly appeared to increase in numbers towards evening. 

 I managed to net three, and these I have now in my collection. — A. J. Mann. 



Black Varieties on a South Lancashire Moss. — Last summer I 

 took an almost uniform dark brown (nearly black) Macarta Uturata (beaten); 

 also a black Luperina testacea at light. Last week I took an almost black 

 Acronycta leporina and an almost black Xylophasia rurea var. combusta 

 (at least that is what I take it to be). Dr. Cotton, of St. Helen's, was with 

 me the night the black leporina occurred, and he took a good specimen of 

 A. alni the same night. The thorax of the A. leporina is quite black, and 

 the fore wings only show the least little trace of grey. — R. Freeman; 

 Prescot, Lancashire. 



Papilio machaon in Kent. — On June 10th, about 6 p.m., a friend 

 caught a fine male specimen of P. machaon on the border of a cornfield 

 between Broadstairs and St. Peter's. I have never heard of one being 

 caught in ihe.se parts before, though it may have escaped from a breeding- 

 cage. — A. J. Mann ; Lindenthorpe, Broadstairs, Aug. 13th. 1900. 



Papilio machaon in Kent. — It may be of interest for you to know 

 that, while staying at Heme Bay in the middle of May last, I captured a 

 specimen of P. machaon, on the wing, in a lane on the outskirts of Blean 

 Woods. The insect was flying slow and apparently with diflSculty, and 

 when I took it I found that the tail of one under wing was missing, and 

 nearly the whole of the other under wing completely gone. The colour of 

 the upper wings was good, and might have belonged to a freshly emerged 

 insect. — G. B. Browne ; 43, Southbrook Road, Lee, S.E. 



Papilio machaon in the New Forest.— I have just seen a fine 

 specimen of this butterfly, bred from a larva taken in a kitchen garden in 

 Lyndhurst. When found the larva was full-fed, and was crawling in a bed 

 of shallots, seeking a place in which to pupate; probably it had fed on carrot, 

 a bed of which is near to the place where it was picked up by the gardener. 

 It pupated July 17th, and the butterfly emerged Aug. 1st. Can anyone 

 say if P. machaon has been taken in this neighbourhood since the date 

 given by Newman? — E. F. Chawnek ; Lyndhurst, Aug. 2nd, 1900. 



CcENONYMPHA PAMPHiLUS VAR. — On June 23rd last I took a specimen 

 of C. pamphilus with the eye-spot on the fore wing entirely absent on both 

 sides. The specimen is also very dark, and the veins are black and very 

 distinct; otherwise it is normal. It was taken on a heath within two 

 miles of Poole, Dorset. I have been told that this variety is rather un- • 

 common, and should like to know if it has a name. — C. E. 0. Carter ; 

 Parkstone, Dorset, July 15th, 1900. 



