270 THE entomolootst's record. 



near here, and with them was a fan- number of A. jilipcmlulae, the 

 latter, however, not nearly so common as the former. Looking over 

 those in copidd, I found five pairs that were crossed, i.e., A. hmiccrae 

 paired with A./tUiicndnlac, three of which laid good batches of fertile 

 ova, which hatched in due course. Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher then kindly 

 took charge of them and I have no doubt will have some interesting 

 notes later on if he be successful in rearing them. — A. H. Hamm, 52, 

 Bt. Mary's Road, Oxford. September 2Qth, 1899. 



I 



J§>RACTICAL HINTS. 



Means of preventing ants attacking drying-house in sub-tropical 

 COUNTRIES. — An unfortunate accident with the first batch of insects set 

 and consigned to the drying-house here, owing to ants, has led me to 

 adopt new measures perhaps worth relating. The drying-house con- 

 taining this first lot was suspended from the ceiling, in order to keep 

 it from the ravages of a small Ijrown ant that abounds here. After it 

 had been suspended three days I examined it, and found a stream of 

 ants ascending and another descending, carrying large pieces of legs, 

 wings, &c. The descending stream being followed was found to pass 

 out of the door into the verandah, where they disappeared into a hole 

 (which is now plugged up). On taking the setting-house down I 

 found thousands of ants within (very few of which escaped alive), and 

 all my nicely set insects ruined, not a perfect specimen being left. I 

 daresay from one point of view, it was very interesting, for one suspects 

 that one or two ants must have discovered the insects, and then communi- 

 cated the locale of their find to the others, but this is little compensa- 

 tion for the disappointment one feels at so great a loss. I have now 

 adopted the following plan : Obtain a bottle, tie a piece of string 

 around it where you wish it to break, soak the string in paraffin, and 

 set it on fire. When the string has burnt out plunge the bottle into 

 cold water, when it will break where the string was tied. Cork the 

 bottle-neck, run a piece of wire through the cork, bending each end of 

 the wire into the form of a hook. Turn the bottle neck downwards, 

 hook on the setting-house, tie a cord to the other end of the wire and 

 suspend from an eye in the ceiling ; half fill the open part of bottle 

 with water, and the apparatus for preventing the entry of ants is com- 

 plete. — E. M. Cheesman, 63, Railway Street, Durban, Natal. Au<nist 

 lOtJi, 1899. 



Field Work for October. 



By B. A. BOWEE, F.E.S. 



1. — Larva^ of St'Kjuwnota niscticnlana may now he found in the 

 fruit of various species of wild roses. They betray their presence by 

 discolouring the hips. Place virgin cork amongst the hips for the 

 larvfe to spin up in, and as soon as they have done so put the cork out 

 of doors, as pupation does not take place until late in the spring. 



2. — After dark Thvra jiDtijicrata is often to be found in great num- 

 bers resting on juniper bushes. 



3. — Xylopoda pariana, in sunny weather, sometimes occurs freely 

 on flowers of various ('owjiositac ; it also frequents thatch. 



4. — The following Coleophorid larvfB should be searched for : — 

 limimpcnnclla and irilhini<(incUa, on l)irch ; paripcnndla on bramble, 



