72 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



male or female. Specimens in my collection, taken near 

 Galway, are not distinguishable from others taken in this 

 neighbourhood, except by the tickets. — Edwin Birchall ; 

 Bradford, April 2, 1866. 



Mould on Lepidoplera. — Your correspondent Mr. Wilkin- 

 son (Entom. iii. 59) need not fear that benzine will increase 

 any tendency his insects may have to become mouldy ; on the 

 contrary, it is generally a good preventive, and, mixed with 

 carbolic acid, now so much in vogue for the rinderpest, will 

 entirely extirpate it. The proportions 1 use are one of car- 

 bolic acid to ten of benzine, and I find that Coleoptera 

 touched with tins come quite safe through any trials I have 

 yet subjected them to. The best vv'ay of removing mould 

 from the wings is to dry the insect thoroughly before the fire, 

 and brush it off with a camefs-hair brush. From the an- 

 tennae it can be removed by the above application, which 

 might with advantage be applied to the under surface of the 

 body. A slightly stronger solution, brushed over the corners 

 of the drawer and the glass frames, would probably check 

 any further development of mould, as also of mites. — G. R. 

 Crotcit ; Uinver.siiy Library, Camhridye. 



Perfiian Lepidoptera. — As regards the Persian Lepidoptera 

 (Entom. ii. 2-30,2.31), you are quite right in your surmise 

 that I had selected British or reputed British species. 1 find 

 I had f)mitted Vanessa Polychloros from the list; it occurs in 

 the Forests of Mtizanderan (the ancient Hyrcania), and is 

 by no n)eans common : this will complete the list. 1 have 

 merely noted those Heterocera that 1 could identify, not 

 having a single book to refer to at the time. I took above 

 seventy species of Diurna, Pieridas being in a large majorit}', 

 and Thecla nearly unrepresented : these were all captured 

 in two valleys t)f the Elburg Mountains, close to each other. 

 The number of species of diwrnal Le])idoptera is not great 

 for the size of the country, Persia, south of the Elburg, being 

 stony and barren in the extren)e. I came to India via 

 Shiraz and the Persian Gulf, and noticed that on crossing a 

 range of hills a iew miles north of the ruins of Persepolis, 

 subtrojncal forms (such as Danais) replaced Pieris in a great 

 measure. One specimen of Chrysophanns dispar I took at 

 an altitude of over 9000 feet. The list refers, of course, to 

 North Persia. As for the insects of the "Garmseer," or hot 



