FOUR weeks' collecting IN SCOTLAND. 283 



Xylophasia vwunf/h/pha and Triphaena pronuha, but there was 

 considerable variety of species, and we were pleased to take nice series 

 of Noctua sobrina, fine varied forms of Triphaena corner, including the 

 true var. curtisii, Newm., and also such deviations therefrom as rufa 

 and nigrescens, Tutt, &c. {Entom., xxii., pi. vi., figs. B — E), 

 Dyschorista siispecta in every conceivable variety, and occasional 

 specimens of several local species. Not infrequently among the 

 crowds, specimens Avere observed in copula, and I noticed one 

 abnormal pairing, viz., between Xylupliasia vumotjlypha and Noctua 

 baia ; of course, cases of this kind are of no scientific interest, but as 

 curiosities they are worth putting on record. But the thing which 

 impressed me most on the Pitfour estate was the marvellous attractive- 

 ness of the flowers of the common rush, particularly to Geometers. I 

 am not exaggerating when I say that at dusk the air around the 

 favoured plants appeared to be filled with a cloud of moths, mainly 

 Cidaria immanata, C. populata and Hypsipetes furcata (flutata), and 

 I shall never forget the sight that greeted the eye when our lanterns 

 were turned on the bloom, after the visitors had had time to settle. 

 I suppose the abundance of these species in this particular locality 

 must be something exceptional, even for Scotland ; for I understand 

 that Mr. Home, with his wide and varied experience of Scotch collect- 

 ing, has not found it altogether equalled elsewhere. Of course 

 selection of forms was impossible, as the Geometers named sit with the 

 wings tightly closed over their backs, but, by boxing large numbers, 

 we succeeded in securing magnificent varied series, particularly of 

 C. immanata, which was just emerging. Larentia clidymata was hardly 

 less common, and a sprinkling of L. olivata, L. caesiata, Coremia 

 mnnitata and other species lent further variety to the sport. By day 

 there was not very much to be done, chiefly on account of the 

 unfavourable weather ; the dearth of butterflies was very marked. We 

 did best on the moors, where nice series of L. caesiata, &c., were 

 obtained ; also larvse of Saturnia pavonia, but very few other larvae, 

 excepting those of the polyphagous Notolophns antiqua which were in 

 countless thousands feeding on the ling. 



On the return of my companions to London, on August 11th, 

 I left Stuartfield for pastures new "in the famous neighbourhood of 

 Forres." Having had full instructions from my kind friends, Messrs. 

 J. P. Mutch and A. Home, I had no trouble whatever in finding the 

 collecting grounds, and was soon busy amongst Erehia actJdops, 

 MelaniJiia bicolorata ab. jjlumbata and other interesting insects. I 

 obtained eggs from several forms and grades of the '^ p)lumbata " type, 

 and hope to get some interesting results next year ; but unfortunately 

 this species seems to lay very sparingly, and most of the batches of 

 eggs are very small. By the way, what can have induced Guenee to 

 m.'akQ bicolorata a " Melanthia'' 7 The comparatively unpolished egg 

 with granulated surface and flattened end, the slender larva with 

 double anal point, the mode of pupation and build of pupa, and even 

 the superficial appearance of the imago, all point rather to an affinity 

 with ''Cidaria'' (in Guenee's sense). Unfortunately I found that 

 sugar w^as not working nearly so well at Forres as in Aberdeenshire, 

 and the average number of visitors generally did not exceed one or at 

 most two per tree. Under the circumstances, it is perhaps not 

 surprising that I did not meet with some species which I was told 



