NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 355 



Sphinx pinastri in Herefordshire. — It will perhaps interest 

 some of your readers to hear that I have caught a specimen of 

 Spliinx pinastri. The insect was taken in Herefordshire last 

 month. — C. Battiscombe ; Hermitage, Bath, October 13, 1881. 



Chcerocampa celerio in Sligo. — I have much pleasure in 

 recording the capture of a specimen of this rare hawk-moth 

 at Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo, Ireland, on September J 7th last. It 

 came to light, and was delicately captured by my sister-in-law, the 

 Hon. Mrs. B. J. Greene, and placed under a tumbler. So far so 

 good. But Mullaghmore is not a fashionable watering-place, and 

 entomological appliances are a conspicuous item in its list of 

 desiderata. The first question was. How to kill it ? A family 

 council was held : chloric-acid and laudanum were exhibited ; sub- 

 sequently chloroform, which had to be sent for some fifteen miles 

 off, was applied, and afterwards several severe pinches beneath the 

 thorax were administered by my son, who was present. Ultimately 

 the insect succumbed to these powerful appliances ; and forthwith 

 arose question No. 3, How to set it ? Everything from an ento- 

 mological view was wanting. However my son, who is no mean 

 proficient in the " craft," manufactured an ingenious structure out 

 of a huge cork-float belonging to a fisherman's net, in the following 

 manner : — The sides were sloped down, and on each was placed a 

 portion of Cadbury's chocolate box, insecurely attached by tin- 

 tacks, and in the groove thus formed Celerio was deposited and 

 set. As no one knew what the moth was, a description (very 

 meagre by the way) was sent to me, and from it I gathered that it 

 might be this rare insect. Upon my son's return home, a fortnight 

 or so later, the first thing exhibited was the moth. On opening 

 the box I beheld, with a feeling somewhat akin to rapture, the 

 finest Choeroeampa celerio I had ever seen, both as regards size 

 and beauty. There was not the slightest trace of being "rubbed " ; 

 the cilise even were quite perfect ; and the insect itself was set in 

 faultless style. Considering the above-named and other difficulties, 

 the result may be fairly termed " a great performance." So far as 

 I am aware this is the first recorded instance of the capture of 

 Chwrocavipa celerio in Ireland. It was not contained in my own 

 " List of Irish Lepidoptera," drawn up in 1854, and published 

 in vol. i. of the ' Natural History Beview ; ' nor does it ai)pear 

 in the lists subsequently compiled by my friend, Mr. E. Birchall. 

 — [Bev.] J. Greene; Clifton, Bristol, October 6, 1881. 



