THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 263 



to the other, or, in fact, in any vray similar, except in the size 

 and shape of the leaf. Possibly it may be a localism ; but I 

 think it is not a correct inference to draw, that because the 

 vulgar name of a wild flower, with the addition of an adjective, 

 is the same as that of the garden plant, without the adjective, 

 that therefore they should be at all nearly-allied species. A 

 parallel instance is afforded by the corauion stingless plant, 

 called dead nettle, which has nothing to do with the coumion 

 nettle, the similarity being only in the shape of the leaf, 

 which similarity gives rise to the name in common use. — 

 Edward B. Poulton. 



[I have not the most remote idea of what plant my corre- 

 spondents are writing: surely there cannot be a moment's 

 difBcnlty in obtaining the botanical name of any large plant, 

 like rhubarb. The very object of scientific nomenclature is 

 defeated by these discussions. — Edward Newtnan.] 



Searching for Moths on Echiuin Vulgare. — On a recent 

 visit to the South Coast I found this to be by far the best 

 way of catching moths, where there are no trees to sugar on. 

 A ievf hints as to time, and apparatus needed, may be 

 useful. 1 believe the time of year best suited for this kind of 

 work is June and July, because the flowers are then fidly out, 

 and you have a chance at the midsummer Sphingid;e. No- 

 thing but Gamma flew before nine o'clock ; and then Porcellus 

 began to come out, and continued till it was just lime to light 

 the lantern ; after which I only captured one. One evening, 

 arriving a little early and waiting for the moths, 1 caught a 

 specimen of Stellatarum at half-past eight, the latest I have 

 ever noticed it. The locality which the bugloss is most fond 

 of is a chalk-bank, which is very inconvenient for catching 

 the moths on the upper side of the bed of flowers, since you 

 are certain to disengage huge pieces of earth and chalk, that, 

 rolling down, effectually save you the trouble of catching the 

 moths. Most Noctuas I could coax into the cyanide-bottle 

 without using the net at all, but Sphingidae and Geometers 

 needed the net; and for them I found one with a long handle 

 and a light cane-ring, with a loose shallow bag, the most con- 

 venient form. Of the Noctuas, Balis, Derasa and Marginatus 

 were the most difficult to capture, behaving more like Geo- 

 meters than anything else. 1 generally searched first the 

 bottom of the bed, then the sides, so as to get as much as 



