﻿Notes, captures, etc. 293 



rush were very attractive ; so also was ragwort, which grows in rich masses. 

 Although no important rarities were captured, some very fine varieties of 

 common species were secured, which well repaid the trouble taken. 

 Amongst others, the following species occurred: — Lycana icarus, beauti- 

 fully bright vars. of female. Cidaria immanata; a nearly unicolorous slatey 

 form. Eubolia Umitata (= mensuraria) ; very dark and strongly marked. 

 Melanippe montanata. Larentia didymata. Leucania pollens, L. impura, 

 L. straminea, L. lithargyria. Apamea leucostigma {—fibrosa) ; very variable. 

 Miana bicoloria (== furuncula) ; all shades of colour, from nearly white to 

 brown. Cerigo matura (= cytherea). Agrotis valligera, A. tritici; very 

 bright. Triphcena comes (= orbona), T. orbona (= subsequa), T. pronuba ; 

 some nice vars. Noctua baia, N. umbrosa, N. xanthographa ; vars. 

 Cleoceris viminalis; a beautiful bright form. Xylophasia monoglypha 

 (= polyodon) ; from very pale to quite black. I was only able to spend 

 four days collecting, but I think the locality would well repay careful 

 work.— J. H. Leech; 29, Hyde Park Gate, S.W., August 10, 1890. 



An addition to the Lepidopteea of Shetland. — Whilst spending 

 a few days at Lerwick, in June, I captured on the shores of Bressay Island 

 a few specimens of Dicrorampha plmnbagana. The weather was cold 

 and wet, and insects remarkably scarce, the only Macro I took being 

 E. curzoni. I was in hopes of finding that the Diptera and Hymenoptera 

 of the North of Scotland were darker than those from the South of England, 

 like the Lepidoptera and Trichoptera, but such does not seem to be the 

 case ; the only fly that appears to show any variation from southern forms 

 is Rhagio scolopaceus. The principal flies I saw in the Shetlands were 

 Pedicia rivosa, Tipula oleracea, T. lunata, Limnobia nigrina, Erioptera 

 obscura, Chrinonus dolens, and Eristalis intricarius ; Bombus smithianus 

 being the only bee.— C. W. Dale ; Glanvilles Wootton, August 2, 1890. 



Ueticating Haies of Lepidopteea. — As a further contribution to the 

 literature of this subject I may add my experience with the cocoons of 

 Cnethocampa processioned. A few days since I. was engaged in clearing 

 out some cocoons of this species from a breeding-cage in which the moth 

 had been reared some years ago. I had not long commenced my job when 

 I felt a severe stinging about my eyes and back of the neck. To 

 obtain relief, as I thought, I bathed my face, &c, with warm water ; 

 but this only seemed to increase the irritation. As soon as I could obtain 

 some strong liquid ammonia from the nearest chemist, I applied this to 

 the parts affected. The effect was very rapid, relief being experienced 

 immediately, and I was quite free of the trouble in a short time. — H. 

 McAethue ; 35, Averill Street, Fulham. 



The Cheshiee Plague of Caterpillaes : a Myth. — I am able to 

 state, not merely from personal observation, but from exhaustive enquiry, 

 that no extraordinary appearance of caterpillars has occurred in Cheshire 

 this year. Berries — perhaps more especially gooseberries — have been 

 generally a heavy crop ; apples and pears will be much below the average ; 

 while " stone " fruit must be put down as almost a failure. A Kelsall 

 correspondent describes the situation as follows: — "The paragraph 

 quoted," he writes (see ' Entomologist ' for August, 1890, page 2G0), " is 

 like many others we meet with in newspapers : some penny-a-liner 

 iraagiued it ! Fruit trees were damaged by frosts in May, not by cater- 



ENTOM. — SEPT. 1890. Z 



