NOTES AND OllSF.RA'ATTONS. 237 



ccella was common in the ants' nests. — Francis C. Woonr.iiinf;F, ; 

 Briar Close, Genard's Cross. 



AilscHNA CYANioA IN WoRCiESTKHSHiRK. — A friendly noiglihoui" 

 brought me in a fine male of this dragonfly to-day (July 14th). 

 lie had caught it resting on his raspberry-canes. Lucas (' ]>ritish 

 DragonHies,' p. 202), does not quote many Midland records for this 

 species, and states that it " seems to have a decidedly southern 

 range." It is, however, fairly common in this northerly corner of 

 Worcestershire. I have often watched it liawking here to-and-fro 

 over the ponds in a dell locally known as the (1 olden Valley. — 

 J. W. Williams, M.R.C.S., etc. ; Bewdley. 



Reseriblanch to SuuRonNDiNGS IN MoTiis. — It is an intei'esting 

 question which Mr. Lucas lias raised with regard to moths 

 resembling tlieir surroundings. I think we may take it for granted 

 that moths fully realise the importance of protecting themselves 

 during the hours of daylight. You have only to look into a moth 

 trap shortly before dawn to see all the moths struggling against 

 the glass, trying to find a way out, whereas an hour liofore they 

 were dancing round the lamps, or resting contentedly in the most 

 exposed positions. As night gives place to morning the moths 

 seem to realise that even if they escape it is too late to be of any 

 advantage to them, and making the l)est of a bad job, take up the 

 best positions in the trap they can find, D. scahriuscnla, for instance, 

 always choosing a place which has been painted black. Where are 

 the vast numbers of moths in the daytime ? Comparatively few 

 are seen in exposed positions, such as tree-trunks' or fences, except 

 after a night of strong wind. Tiiey creep into crevices and wood 

 stacks, out of reach of the most painstaking bird. But what about 

 the few moths that are in exposed positions ? I believe that these, 

 either because they were in cojj. or for some other reason, have been 

 caught out too late, and sooner than risk ])eing on the move in 

 the daylight take up a position whereon they find themselves. 

 I give them credit, unreasonable as it may seem, of exhil)itinT a 

 good deal of ingenuity on these occasions. I came across D. 

 fulcataria once on a tree-trunk : if it had rested in a horipoontal 

 position I don't think it would have deceived me, but instead of 

 this it selected to imitate a dead birch-leaf. Its wings were 

 perpendicular, up and down the tree-trunk, the pointed ends 

 representing the stalk and point of the leaf. After looking at it 

 for a second or two and tliinking there was possiijly a cocoon behind 

 the leaf, I put out my liand to pull it from the trunk by the stalk, 

 when the leaf changed into a moth and flew away. — Frederick 

 GiLLETT ; Cheriton House, Sevenoaks, July 31st, 1920. 



Formation of a Southampton Entomological Society. A 



meeting of a number of gentlemen intci'ested in entomology was 

 held in Southamption on July .ioth for the pui'pose of foi'min" an 

 entomological society in that district, and it was decided unanimously 

 that such a society should lie foi'med, to bo called the Southampton 

 and District Entomological Society. \ discussion as to the various 

 activities that might be entered on brought foi-th some useful 

 suggestions. It was finally arranged to make an innnediate start on 



