THE ENTOMOLOGIST. O 



[Mr. Preston's view of the case exactly corresponds with 

 ray own, as aheady expressed (Entora. ii. 284). I ought also 

 to say that Mr. Johnson has most kindly visited me for the 

 express purpose of explaining his theory, but has failed to 

 convince me of its soundness. — Edward Netvman.] 



Acherontia Alropos, Sphinx Convolvuli, 8gc., in Orkney. 

 — It may interest the readers of the ' Entomologist' to know 

 that even here, almost at the northern extremity of our 

 island, we have been favoured with a visit from Acherontia 

 Atropos. At a village some ten miles from here the presence 

 of the larva has filled the inhabitants with terror, its com- 

 paratively immense size raising a suspicion that, instead of 

 being the harmless creature it is, it might possibly be a new 

 Ophidian, and great in consequence was the persecution the 

 poor thing had to suffer. I have a splendid specimen, the 

 facile princeps of my collection, now before me, which I 

 found reposing under the eave of my own dwelling. It was 

 a proud moment for me when I secured him, being my first 

 specimen, and, with mixed feelings of regret and delight, I 

 sent him " to sleep the sleep that knows no waking." Sphinx 

 Convolvuli and Vanessa Cardui have likewise been pretty 

 abundant. — Alexander Davidson ; West End, Dingwall, N.B., 

 November 11, 1865. 



Acherontia Atropos at Leominster. — On the 1st of Sep- 

 tember our gardener, while digging potatoes, turned up a 

 noble pupa of A. Atropos. It was instantly brought to me, 

 when 1 found it had been wounded on the left side of the 

 head and thorax, there being a cut in the pupa-case full 

 three-fourths of an inch long, through which some moisture 

 kept oozing. Although fully expecting it would die of its 

 injury, I buried it in fine earth, but it quickly came to the 

 surface. I covered it with damp moss, and placed it in a 

 garden-frame which was kept gently heated. On the 22nd 

 of October a very fine imago came out, quite perfect, except- 

 ing that the left antenna was far smaller than the right, 

 though just as well formed. — E. S. Hutchinson ; Grantsfield, 

 Leominster, December 1, 1865. 



Sphinx Ligiistri : female cripple. — A short time ago I 

 had a female specimen of Sphinx Ligustri brought to me, 

 which had been captured in the morning as soon as she had 

 escaped from the chrysalis. She was immediately placed in 



