80 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



remaining five months produced Tiliaria, Fiiscantaria (2), 

 Cervinaria, Spartiata, Pennaria, and Cassinea : the latter 

 were more plentiful than I have ever found them before, and 

 I secured fifteen males and nine females. On the whole (as 

 far as light is concerned), I consider that I had a more 

 successful season than usual. — G. H. Ray nor ; Tonhridge^ 

 March 9, 1872. 



Moths at Sea. — Captain Robert Fuller, of the S. S. 

 Northumbria, informs me that last September, when about 

 twenty miles off Oporto, " weather fine," a very considerable 

 number of moths made their appearance during the evening, 

 and settled on the masts and sails of the ship by hundreds. 

 So numerous were they, that with one grasp of the hand you 

 could secure four or five moths. Several specimens were 

 caught for me ; but until yesterday I had not been able to see 

 them. They all prove to be our common Plusia Gamma ; 

 and Capt. F. told me he did not observe any other kind on 

 that occasion. These must have been part of a large flight, as 

 he described them as clustering in masses all over the ship. I 

 certainly think that many of the rare insects occasionally cap- 

 tured round our coasts are brought here in the above manner: 

 after a long and almost exhausting flight over the sea, they 

 very often gain foothold on some passing vessel, and some 

 day or two may elapse before they again lake wing; then it 

 may often happen to be near the English coast ; the fugitive 

 possibly captured, and dubbed an English specimen, worth a 

 considerable sum, of course. These particular insects, 

 P. Gamma, are most common here ; but it is just as likely to 

 happen to a continental species. Doubtless we owe many of 

 our present extensive list of new species to homeward-bound 

 shipping. — W. H. Tugwell ; 3, Lewisham Road, Greenwich^ 

 S.E., March 14, 1872. 



South London Entomological Society. — I am requested to 

 state that a society under this name has commenced its 

 meetings at the reading-room of Dunn's Institute, Newiugton 

 Causeway (near the Elephant and Castle), and that new 

 members can be admitted on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 

 10 P.M. — Edward Newman. 



