APORIA CRATAGI IN ENGLAND. 933 
whom were anxious to know more of the insects whose ravages 
were so familiar to them; and no doubt in years to come, when 
old prejudices have died out, the coming generation of those 
engaged in tilling the soil will see the importance, profit, and 
pleasure of an acquaintance of their insect foes and friends. 
APORIA CRATAGI IN ENGLAND. 
By C. A. Brices, F.E.S. 
I quire agree with Mr. Frohawk’s remarks (Entom. 217) as 
to the very unsatisfactory character of the so-called records of the 
recent captures of this species in Kent. Neither Mr. Carrington 
(in the ‘ Field’) nor Mr. Webb (‘ Brit. Naturalist,’ 1. 150) state 
that they have seen any of the specimens they mention, nor give 
the name or names of the alleged captor or captors to enable 
other entomologists to form their own opinions as to his or their 
bona fides or reliability. The exact place of capture is a matter 
of minor importance, and for obvious reasons cannot always be 
given; but the captor’s name is, in these days, unfortunately, an 
essential. The natural result of such mysterious reticence is to 
open the way to fraud. We shall, doubtless, soon have specimens 
offered for sale or exchange purporting to be the genuine North 
Kent and Sandwich specimens, ‘‘ vouched for” by Messrs. 
Carrington and Webb; and, while the captor’s name is with- 
held, such specimens cannot be checked or verified. 
With a species that seems to be dying out with us, we cannot 
be too careful not to admit imperfectly authenticated records; 
and, for my own part, I do not consider these as records at all. 
Mr. Webb not only seems to be of the same opinion, but to have 
some private system of recording of his own, for he says that 
records need not be made in one or all of the entomological 
magazines to be received and quoted afterwards as an authority ; 
but I trust that these views will not be adopted by many, for such 
publication and concealment joined are useless. No doubt many 
valuable facts are stored away and practically lost in the ‘ Pro- 
ceedings’ of our minor provincial Natural History Societies and 
in local newspapers; but whether either of these unfortunate 
methods have been adopted for the full record that Mr. Webb 
implies has been made of these captures is still a mystery, and 
the fact remains that the last open, candid record, without 
suppression of salient facts, is that of the specimens captured by 
my nephew in 1888. Messrs. Carrington and Webb have, no 
doubt, satisfied themselves of its more recent capture; but I 
certainly claim the right of knowing the grounds on which their 
judgment is formed before I form my own. 
The question of the gradual extinction has for some years 
