THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 271 



by a broad black line. If these spots are the distinguishing 

 mark of the female, is this last case an instance of external 

 hermaphroditism similar to that which occasionally occurs in 

 Lycaena Alexis ? — Yecnd Duer^ Cleygnte House, near Esher. 

 Beetles in Australia. — According to the Melbourne papers 

 just received, enormous swarms of beetles have been noticed 

 lately in Victoria, Australia. In the early part of January a 

 swarm was noticed near Ararat, Victoria, flying in a column 

 about twenty yards broad, and keeping in compact order. 

 They cast a dark shadow on the ground, and they were 

 about an hour in passing the spot from which they were seen. 

 At a certain point they turned off at right angles. The 

 Eucalypti in the neighbourhood of these insects had been 

 stripped of every particle of foliage. Great numbers of the 

 beetles fall to the ground during the flight. The noise they 

 make while flying is like that of a hurricane playing in the 

 rigging ol a ship. The colour of these beetles is a dark 

 bronze. — ' Yorkshire Post; March 30, 1867. 



[Are these winged species of Paropsis ? — E. N.] 

 Mould on Lepidopiera. — Some time ago I solicited a 

 method of checking mould on the wings of Lepidoptera, and 

 of removing it when already there, and was subsequently 

 informed by Mr. Crotch (Knlom. iii. 72) that a mixture of 

 carbolic acid with benzine would, if a})plied to the insect, 

 prevent mould being formed, and would check it if in a state 

 of infection. I accordingly tried the experiment, and found 

 it to answer very well, and have sincerely to thank Mr. 

 Crotch for the information so kindly given. As I have suc- 

 ceeded tolerably well in getting rid of the worst enemy I 

 think insect-preservers have to deal with, my mode of proceed- 

 ing may be of some use to others. First of all 1 pin the 

 moth or butterfly infected on a piece of cork, and place it 

 before a fire at the distance of about a yard, and then 

 brush the thickest of the mould off the wings and antennae 

 with a camel-hair brush. If, however, the mould is of long 

 standing, and is so tenacious as not to be removed with a 

 dry brush, I use one dipped in benzine, but am sorrjf to say 

 have not succeeded so well in the latter instance. The 

 object of placing the insect before a fire is to dry it 

 thoroughly, and the mould, if not of long duration, will 

 brush ofl like dust. After another warm at the fire 1 apply 



