290 THE entomologist's record. 



:]^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Absence of ichneumoned larv^. — Have any of the readers of the 

 Ent. Record noticed the ahuost entire absence of ichneumons in June 

 species of larv^ this year ? Last year, the larvae of Eupithecia succen- 

 turiata, of which I found above 70, only 22 of which pupated, the others 

 being stung by the ichneumon that fastens its cocoon at right angles 

 to the unfortunate larvae at the posterior extremity. This year, so far, 

 I have only had two larvae stung. Eupithecia subfulvata larvae were 

 treated in much the same way, and in about the same proportion. The 

 larvfe of Actebia praecox, this year, were also remarkably free from ! 

 parasites, for, as a rule, nearly a third of their number are stung. — 

 T. Baxter, Min-y-don, St. Anne's-on-Sea, Lancashire. October dth, \ 

 1906. 



Pyrameis cardui in Buckinghamshire. — From the various notices 

 which have appeared in this magazine on the subject, there appears to 

 have been a considerable immigration of this butterfly to our shores 

 this season. As a rule, in my rambles on the Chiltern Hills, I have 

 never found it in any abundance, but, in August, from the first week of 

 the month onwards, it was flying everywhere in the neighbourhood of 

 Great Hampden and Kimble, but was very little in evidence after that 

 date. As a rule, 1 have observed that, when we get an abnormal cardui 

 year, there is a corresponding abundance of Plnsia [/anima : while it 

 may also be worth noting that the double immigration in recent years 

 has generally been, in my experience, coincident with a wet and cool 

 summer. This year, however, I have not noticed that the latter: 

 species has been more common than usual ; while, certainly, a finer 

 August and autumn, generally, has not favoured us since the great 

 summer of 1893. Here, in Middlesex, the scarcity of the common 

 Noctuids has been quite remarkable, and I hear the same account from 

 most local collectors. — H. Kowland-Brown, M.A., Oxhey Grove, 

 Harrow- Weald, Middlesex. October 2drd, 1906. 



Plusia gamma in the southeastern district of London. — In the 

 last number of the magazine (antea, p. 228), Mr. Briggs notes the 

 rarity of Plusia gamma this year. Just now it is fairly abundant in our 

 part of the metropolis, coming in to light every evening, the specimens 

 evidently just emerged. — J. W. Tutt, Westcombe Hill. October 10th, 

 1906. 



CoLiAS edusa at Guildford and Margate. — I saw a specimen 

 flying in the centre of the town of Guildford on August 23rd, and I 

 took, at Margate, four ^ specimens on September 2nd, three ^ s and 

 one 5 on September 7th, and one ^ on September 9th, all in perfect 

 condition, as though only just emerged, with the exception that two 

 3' s and one ? had one hindwing chipped at the anal angle, but were 

 otherwise perfect. It struck me as being rather late for examples in 

 such good condition, I usually expect to find them emerging about 

 August 17th. The $ was flying very sluggishly, and Avas, I thought, 

 ovipositing, but she failed to lay any ova when put under a bell glass. 

 — C. W. CoLTHRUP, 127, Barry Road, East Dulwich, S.E. 

 October ith, 1906. i 



Heliothis peltigera at Margate. — I took a freshly-emerged 3" 

 specimen flying among lucerne, on August 9th, at Margate. — Ibid. 



Vanessids in 1906. — I think this can be fairly called a Vanessid 



