110 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



printed, but also in the extensive array and scientific value of the aber- 

 rations which are figured. The aberrations of the Polyommatids, 

 Chrysophanids, and Anthrocerids, as well as the marvellous series of 

 aberrations of Spilosinna Inbricijn'ila, S. iiwxthastri, Arrtia caia, A. 

 rillira, Ahro.ras (jrossidariata, etc., are simply marvellous. The work is 

 essentially British in the best sense, the material having been largely 

 purchased from tha best British collections and arranged side by side 

 with such forms as have been obtainable from other Palaearctic 

 localities. It is not only an important contribution to science, but a 

 work of art, such as only a scientific man who is at the same time one 

 of the first printers of the day, could produce. The work is of course 

 published by M. Oberthiir himself at Rennes, France. 



:i^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Phlegethontius (Sphinx) convolvuli in the far east. — As I see 

 by the entomological magazines that I'/iln/i'tJiontiiis f Sii/n'u.r) confolndl 

 has been unusually common at home during the late autumn, it may 

 be of interest to note that it has also been unusually abundant dut 

 here. In 1896 I did not see a single specimen, and in 1S97 the only 

 trace of the species was a pupa which I found at Kumakura, near 

 Yokohama ; but this year, towards the end of August and beginning of 

 September, I', convolvuli was abundant at Chifu and Wei-hai-wei, so 

 that scarcely an evening passed without there being brought to me at 

 least one individual, which had been attracted by the electric light. 

 The simultaneous abundance of this intermittently common species at 

 the very extremities of its rangeacross the great Euro- Asiatic continent 

 seems to me noteworthy, and it would be interesting to ascertain 

 whether the moth was also unusually abundant in other localities in 

 which it occurs in continental Europe. — T. B. Fletcher, F.E.S., 

 H.^I.S. Centurion, at Hong Kong, December 24th, 1H9S. 



Breeding Camptogramma fluviata. — I was fortunate enough to 

 obtain two dozen eggs of ('aiiij)ti>:ivain)iia fluviata, from my friend Mr. 

 Hodges, laid by a 9 taken September 13th. Eighteen of the larva^ grew 

 uji rapidly, the last emerging yesterday, November 18th. Four of them 

 grew very slowly, two of these died on Nov. 19th, whilst two larvae 

 were still feeding on at that date. At first I fed them on knotgrass to 

 which they took very well, and when knotgrass disappeared I found 

 dock an equally efficient substitute. The eighteen larvfe that fed up 

 produced inagines during the first fortnight of November.- — A. W. 

 Mera, 79, Capel Road, Forest Gate, E. November 19th, 1898. 



Laphygma exigua and Leucania vitellina in Devonshire. — I ought 

 perhaps to record the capture of one exaniple each of Laphi/i/ma c.vifiua 

 and Leucania vitellina in South Devon at the end of August last. 

 With the exception of I'evidvowa saueia and P. i/jtsilon, insects were 

 much scarcer in South Devon in 1898 than they were in 1897. — (Rev.) 

 E. C. Dobree Fox, Castle Moreton Vicarage, Tewkesbury. 



Rearing Asteroscopus sphinx. — I have reared the larvje of Astevo.s- 

 copuH sjiliin.r on whitethorn and blackthorn. I have beaten them olf 

 these trees in Monk's Wood, Hants, and never find them cannibals 

 unless short of food. In the New Forest I only beat them off oak, 

 but have taken them here off wych elm, and have always fed them on 

 the naturally chosen food-plant. The arrangements (in confinement) 



