VARIETIES. 437 



of prussic acid, which are evolved from the crushed leaves, will 

 become too much attenuated to affect the respiratory organs of 

 the insects, and the latter will partially revive if too speedily 

 exposed to the vivifying influence of a purer atmosphere. I 

 have tried the experiment rather extensively upon insects of 

 various families : Botnbi and Helophili die very rapidly in less 

 than two minutes, and without any struggling, as is the case 

 when heat, &c. is applied ; and moths, in a state of repose, 

 expire without a single previous motion : consequently the 

 process I have recommended is most admirably adapted for 

 killing the larger Lepido2)tera almost immediately upon their 

 capture, and thus fine specimens may be conveyed home 

 uninjured. I yesterday killed a gigantic Epeira diadema in 

 less than half a minute ; and a specimen of Helops cceruleus, 

 with one or two fresh-captured Philonthi, at liberty in the box, 

 were also dead when it was opened. I therefore strongly 

 recommend the above process to the notice of the practical 

 entomologist, as being, from its convenience, better adapted 

 for general application than any hitherto proposed. 



J. F. Stephens. 



Hermitage, South Lambeth, 

 nth Sept. 1834. 



39. Capture ofNyssia zotiaria. — This beautiful and remark- 

 able addition having been made to our British Lepidopiera, 

 and Mr. Eveleigh, the President of the Banksian Society of 

 Manchester, supposing it to have been an entirely new species, 

 having most kindly brought to town three specimens purposely 

 for description in this Magazine, among my " Entomolo- 

 gical Notes ;" I immediately submitted them to the notice of 

 Mr. Stephens, who had never seen any thing like them before. 

 I then applied to Mr. Children, whose entomological library I 

 knew to be unrivalled in this country, and who, with the most 

 prompt kindness, informed me the insect was the zonaria both 

 of Hubner and Duponchel. A single specimen of the male 

 was taken on the rushes about half a mile below Black-rock, 

 near Liverpool, in September, 1832; and about the middle of 

 the same month, in the following year, from twelve to twenty 

 specimens of the same insect, both males and females, were 

 taken in the same locality. The captor is Mr. Nicholas Cook, 

 of Liverpool. The following is a description of the insect : — 

 Antennae, with the cilia; black, the shaft white : pilosity of 



