142 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



bundles of the plant early in September. These were placed in three 

 bandboxes, with a part of their lid cut out, and muslin substituted. 

 In a day or two the larvae began to appear on the muslin, and con- 

 tinued to do so until the middle of October, by which time I had 

 transferred no less than four hundred and seventy-seven into two of 

 my breeding-cages. — Gervase F. Mathew (Paymaster-in-Chief, Royal 

 Navy) ; Dovercourt, Essex, March 19th, 1903. 



Notes on Collecting Lepidoptera during 1902. — In these notes 

 I do not intend to deal with all the species taken during the year, but 

 only with the more interesting captures. 



" Sugaring," which is usually the most profitable mode of collect- 

 ing Lepidoptera, was, I think, this year, the least productive ; March, 

 October, and November were the only months in which moths were 

 attracted in anything like the usual numbers. 



In March Tmiiocainpa popnleti and numerous hybernatedNoctuae were 

 attracted ; and in October and November Cerastis vaccinii, Orthosia lota, 

 Calocampa exoleta, Gonoptera libatrix, and many others, were attracted: 

 while a few very favourable evenings in June produced Cymatophora or, 

 C. duplaris, and Grammesia trilinea in very small numbers. 



This scarcity of moths at " sugar" was, I think, due to honeydew 

 having been so general. By working honeydewed bushes — which 

 stood somewhat isolated — with a lantern, I took Hydrcecia micacea, 

 Miana literosa, M. bicoloria, Caradrina morpheiis, C. taraxaci, C. cubicu- 

 laris, Agrotis nigricans, A. tritici (one),* and a number of others of less 

 interest. 



Throughout the season dusking was by far the best mode of collect- 

 ing Lepidoptera ; the rarest moth obtained in this district during the 

 season was taken in this way by Mr. M. C. Dixon, who, on boxing a 

 specimen of Hydrilla palustris,\ thought it was only Miana arcuosa. 



Dusking in April and May resulted in the capture of Selenia bilunaria, 

 Lobophora catpinata {lobulata), Anticlea badiata, A. derivuta, and Ci- 

 daria suffumata ; and in June Lithosia mesomella, Hepialus velleda, H. 

 lupulinus, H. hectus, Cili.v glaucata, Odontopera bidentata, Aspilates 

 strigillaria, A. gilvaria, LomaspiUs marginata, numerous Eupitheciae, 

 Melanthia albicillata, Cidaria corylata, and a host of others. 



In July the lanes and meadows swarmed with Lepidoptera (chiefly 

 Geometrse) at dusk, and among the species taken were Leucania impura, 

 L. pallens, Axylia putris, Miana bicoloria, Uropteryx savibucaria, Cidaria 

 prunata, C. fulvata, C. pyraliata, C. dotata, Pelurga comitata, and Eu- 

 bolia limitata. 



During August very much the same things were taken as in July, 

 with a few exceptions and additions ; among the latter were Larentia 

 olivata and Epione apiciaria. 



Later on, towards the end of the year, Hybernia aurantiaria, H. 

 defoliaria, Cheimatobia brumata, and C. boreata were taken. 



* A, tritici : this is only the second occurrence of this insect in Carlisle, 

 and is rather a strange capture so far inland. — J. M. 



f Hydrilla palustris ; this is the fifth specimen taken in the Carlisle 

 district ; two were taken during the day, resting among the long grass ; and 

 three — including that now referred to — have been casually netted at dusk 

 among other things. So far none have been taken at light. — J. M. 



