22 THl'I KNTOMOLOGIST. 



condition. Attention paid to this locality during the week gave us a 

 very interesting insight into the habits of the " Oak Eggar." The 

 atmospheric conditions were apparently quite the same from 12 

 o'clock to 3 p.m., but on no occasion did the insect put in an appear- 

 ance before the latter hour. From our elevated position we could 

 see for quite a distance in every direction, and it was most interesting 

 to notice how he flew — always in a circle of about a quarter of a mile, 

 his motions, strangely like those of a bat, being discernible for the 

 whole length of his flight. Not only did they keep to the same 

 route, even if driven from it temporarily by our nets, but they would 

 use the same passage through a hedge, which enabled them to keep 

 to open ground, our method of capturing being to station ourselves 

 by the gap and swoop down at the psychological moment as they 

 attempted to " force the pass," the net result being eight fine 

 specimens. During the same period we took from a fence a fine 

 full-fed larva of the same species, .presumably one which had fed up 

 from the ovum during the same year and which is now in pupa. In 

 the evenings we went in search of the female, but were only successful 

 in securing one specimen, but at the same time took several examples 

 of C. Rotatoria. Our other captures included eight larvse of S. yavonia 

 off bramble, as well as imagines of Epinephcle tithonus (a beautiful 

 series), C argiolus, P. atalanta, C. matura, T. ianthina, C. nupta, 

 A. rumicis, P. megmra, etc. — C. Wainweight ; 8, Kingsdown Avenue, 

 West Eahng, W. 13. 



Lepidoptera in Mesopotamia. — I have lately returned from 

 Mesopotamia, and although I had little time to devote to collecting 

 entomological specimens I managed to bring back a certain number, 

 as the following list will show. The total species of Lepidoptera met 

 with in this desert country was not great, but I was surprised at the 

 vast number of species of Coleoptera which another officer collected 

 — many of them new to science. The principal moths were: 

 Achcrontia atropos : One obtained at Beit Naama. Deilcp)hila 

 livornica: Found in vast numbers at dusk and also in broad daylight 

 around nasturtiums and orange-blossoms at Beit Naama during 

 April. A few were attracted by light in March. Ghoirocampa 

 cclerio was also obtained in vast numbers around the same blossoms 

 during April. C. nerii : On March 27th I found numbers of specimens 

 at orange-blossoms, and although I had no net I caught many eacli 

 night up to April 1st, after which date none were seen. C. alecto: 

 These were common during April at Beit Naama round nasturtiums 

 and several were captured. Macroglossa stellatarum : Very common 

 at Beit Naama during April. Utetheisa pulchella : A few obtained. 

 Plusia gavivia and P. vioncta were both fairly common. Leiicanitis 

 tenera : Very common everywhere. Eriogaster riviicola was found 

 commonly in Baghdad. With regard to butterflies there are many 

 I am unable to record, as I have not yet identified them. But the 

 following list is fairly complete : Papilio viachaon was met with at 

 Tehrit and north of that town. Thais cerisyi : One or two specimens 

 only. Pieris cJiIoridice : Very common in the Hamrin Mountains 

 and elsewhere, and some good variations obtained. P. brassicce : A 

 few obtained at Busrah. P.rapce: Met Vv^ith sparingly throughout 



