SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 57 



B. parthenias danced off. P. trochilus is, to use a nautical expression, 

 " quick on her helm," but I know few flights quite as dazzling as that 

 of B. partJienias, and it is a very wary insect, especially if the sun is 

 hot, which it was that day, so its escape was not unexpected. I was, 

 however, surprised to see P. trochilus try such a robust insect. 



Observer. — W. P. Curtis and L. Time. — 4 p.m. 

 M. Cook. 



Date.— August 6th, 1916. Sex.— <? . 



Place. — Arish Mell, Dorset. Duration. — 20 minutes. 



Food. — Watched P. trochilHn ^ catching Micros in an ash tree. He 

 hovered before the foliage, looking up under the leaves and twigs, and 

 dabbed in suddenly three times and each time caught a Micro and 

 swallowed it. The insects were at rest, but I am unable to hazard a 

 guess as to species. He also spent a long time searching. We were 

 about five feet from the bird. 



Note. — These observations are difficult to tabulate owing to 

 absence of details on May 16th, 1914, but as the detailed records 

 produced 10 visits in 2 hours, I will assume 10 as the number. This 

 gives 38 records. Food identified 18 times. Five times the attacks 

 were on Lepidopterous imagines. Three only were completed. 



15. Phylloscopus sibilatrix, Bechst. The Wood Wren. 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis and Time. — Afternoon. 



W. P. Curtis. 

 Date.— June 1st, 1913. Sex.—? 



Place. — Canford, Dorset. Duration. — No record. About 



h an hour. 

 Food. — Green larvae. No details. 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis and W. Time. — Afternoon. 



P. Curtis. 



Date.— June 8rd, 191G. Sex.—? 



Place. — Canford, Dorset. Duration. — No record. About 



Food.- — Green larvfe. No details. 



(To be continued.) 



% an hour. 



j^CIENTIFIC NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Record and record. — Among the many ideas which invaded 

 the active mind of the late J. W. Tutt, at the inception of this maga- 

 zine, was that of providing a means of recording facts relating to 

 Entomology, however slender they might be, so that from the accu- 

 mulation of small facts a permanent advance in knowledge might be 

 gained, in the same way, to use an example familiar to entomologists, 

 tha^ a useful structure arises from innumerable small threads when a 

 caterpillar spins its cocoon. At this time of year, when field work is 

 only for the very enthusiastic, the more seasoned or the more lazy 

 entomologist may look up his note books and probably cull from them 

 some small items, waifs and strays, that have not yet found an appro- 

 priate niche. These small items, often gathered by chance, if not 

 brought to light when opportunity comes, may lie buried for years, like 

 much of the field knowledge of our predecessors, and also, one is sorry 



