notes on ccllecting. 303 



Note on the abundance of Papilio machaon in Northern 

 France. — About a mile from the cliffs near Le Portel, a fishing village 

 west of Boulogne, in the midst of farm land, where the wheat had 

 nearly all been carried, on August 19th last, I came across two patches 

 of vetches and one of clover, where all the butterflies of the neigh- 

 bourhood seemed to be congregated, chief est of which was Papilio 

 wacJiaoii, and in numbers sufficient to be called abundant. Although 

 strong on the Aving, they were not flying so wildly as one usually 

 experiences, and their flight being over a restricted area, the chances 

 for netting were thereby increased. At one time I had four around 

 me within striking distance, I caught neither, though I eventually 

 bagged five. I do not think they were bred in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood ; the land lies high, with no indication of marsh ; every- 

 thing was parched, hardly a green leaf even on garden trees — they 

 were probably immigrants. With regard to those specimens which 

 have been either seen or taken in the southern counties this summer, the 

 suggestion that they had rather crossed the channel from the continent 

 than made their way southward from the Fens seems to me the more 

 reasonable. May they visit us a little oftener? A few hours Avith 

 machaon anywhere marks a red letter day, and the sport they afford 

 does one good eA'en to remember. — Harry Moore, F.E.S., 12, LoAver 

 Eoad, Eotherhithe. Octohcv Ut, 1900. 



Papilio machaon at Catton. — A young entomological nepheAV 

 Avrites me, that Avhile playing in a cricket match at Catton, Norfolk, 

 on September 8th, 1900, P. )nacJiaon flcAV OA'er his head. As he has 

 seen and taken a great number in the south of France he Avould not be 

 mistaken in the species. — Jos. F. Green, F.L.S., F.E.S., West Lodge, 

 Blackheath. [Other examples are recorded from East Grinstead, 

 August 20th (FrohaAvk) ; near Martley, August 3 1st (FrohaAvk) ; 

 Teme Valley, August 31st (EdAA^ards). — Ed.] . 



Choerocampa nerii near Weymouth. — A specimen of CJiocrocainpa 

 ncrli was brought to me ali\'e in a cardbox on September 24th last, by 

 a little boy, and, strange to say, Avas almost uninjured. It Avas caught 

 at rest by Mrs. NeAV, a resident in the village of Chickerell, about half 

 a mile distant from my house, Avho, knowing my tastes, kindly sent it 

 to me. It is a beautiful specimen, a female, and If inches across the 

 Avings. This is the first haAvk moth, rarer than Achcrontia atropoa or 

 Spliin.v roncolvnli that I haA^e either caught or had brought to me 

 during 30 years' collecting. — Nelson M. Eichardson, B.A., F.E.8., 

 Monte A'ideo, near Weymouth. October lOtli, 1900. 



Choerocaiaipa nerii in Kent. — A fine female of this rare species Avas 

 captured by Master Guy Wickham, in his father's dining-room at 

 WilloAA' GroA'e, Yalding, about 6.30 p.m. on September 18th last. The 

 AvindoAv Avas open and a lamp burning on a sideboard at the far end of 

 the room ; there Avere some plants of Nicotiajia affinix in the garden 

 outside. Unfortunately it Avas very much damaged, as the boy had 

 only a small " sea-side " net and no killing-bottle, so the moth took a 

 deal of hunting before it Avas caught, and had to be killed like a 

 butterfly by severe pinches under the thorax ! — (Capt.) S. J. Eeid, 

 F.E.S., Yalding, Kent. October, 1900. 



Heliothis scutosa and Aplecta occulta in South Dea'on. — Whilst 

 I Avas collecting with my son, F. Capel Hanbury, in a clover-field near 

 Dartmouth, on September 4th, a much Avorn male specimen of Heliothis 



