20 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
I stayed till early in July I did not find any more Compta 
that season. I shall be very pleased to join any London 
gentleman entomologist next season for a trip to Howth, 
when no doubt we can settle the “matter of Dianthecia 
Compta” for ever. I may add that Compta occurs on the 
cliff at the bottom of Sir Edward Burrows’ grounds, and the 
paths are beautifully ornamented with fuchsias, sweet-williams, 
and nasturtiums, also huge patches of sea-pink and Silene 
maritima, collected from various parts of the coast; every 
particle of the latter was destroyed by a well-known entomo- 
logist about six years ago, much to Sir Edward’s annoyance. 
—E. G. Meek ; 56, Brompton Road, S.W. 
British Species alias Continental (Entom. vi. 563).—True 
lovers of the collecting of British insects must hail with 
pleasure the remarks of our valued friend, Mr. Henry 
Doubleday, on the authenticity of numerous rare species 
passing as British, but in reality and without doubt aliens; 
such a mode in forming a collection of British insects is very 
damaging to this interesting Science. I, for one, have lost 
much of the interest I hitherto had, principally from this 
cause, that there is scarcely any depending on an insect 
(called rare) from whatever quarter you may receive it.—F. O. 
Standish; 1, Glendale Villas, King’s Road, Cheltenham, 
December 1, 1878. 
[This controversy must now cease.—E. Newman.] 
Xanthia aurago and Cirrheedia xerampelina near Llan- 
gollen (Entom. vi. 547, 564).—In the ‘Entomologist’ for 
December, 1873, Mr. Gregson records the capture of a speci- 
men of Xanthia aurago at Llangollen, and states that he is 
not aware of any previous capture of that insect on this 
side of England or in Wales. It may, therefore, interest 
him to know that in the year 1865 I found a good, fresh 
specimen of X. aurago, resting, by day, on the staircase 
of this house, which is ten miles from Llangollen. I 
am unable to give the exact date, as I had not then 
begun to collect with any system. It was one of the first 
moths I ever captured, but is still in good preservation, 
though unfortunately set on a common pin. It was not till 
some years afterwards that, on obtaining your ‘British 
Moths,’ I learned the name and value of the species. I may 
mention that though I have never taken another Aurago, my 
