134 . tTHE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



and have used them in as good, if not better, localities, have found them 

 almost a failure. My trap is about two miles distant from any gas-lamps, 

 so that there are no other lights to prove counter-attractions through the 

 night. It 18 placed at a bedroom windov? on the first floor, overlooking the 

 garden and meadows. The window is in a sheltered corner, where 

 the wing of the house runs out at right angles to the " trap-window," and 

 the house being white, I fancy the walls help to attract the insects ; in fact, 

 they take the place of the white sheet hung behind the fen collector's lamp. 

 I believe the distance from gas-lamps, the sheltered position, and the white 

 background, are the real secrets of success with my trap. In J 891 the lamp 

 was lighted 83 nights, and only three times was the trap empty m the 

 morning. In 1892 I was not able to keep such a careful record of results, as 

 I was a great deal away from home ; but I know there were five nights of utter 

 failure. On an average I take 3U moths every night in the trap, and some- 

 times as many as 135, 142, and 150 in one night. Dull, warm nights, in 

 dry weather seem the most productive, and clear, quiet nights are often 

 good. Bright moonlight and high wind seem the two conditions that 

 render the trap really unproductive. It is curious how some nights 

 Geometers are chiefly attracted, other nights Noctuae ; and I have noticed 

 that when sugar proves very attractive, very few Noctuse come to the trap. 

 Several insects new to this locality have been taken only in the trap, and 

 some interesting varieties have occurred. Among the better moths I have 

 taken during the last two years are the following : — LitJwsia mesomella, L. 

 griseola, Nemeophila rusmla, Trichiura cratagi, Xylophasia sahlustris, 

 Luperina cespitis, Noctua depuncta, N. ditrapezium, Hadeiia genistce, 

 Aventia Jiexula, Geometra papilionaria, G.vernaria, Phorodesma bajulatia, 

 Zonosoma porata, Acidalia emarginata, Lobophora sexalisata, Melanippe 

 unangulata, Cidaria silaceata, Orobena extimalis, and Platyptilia bertrami. 

 — Mary Kimber; Cope Hall, Newbury. 



MiaRATioN OF Butterflies. — Can anyone tell me the reason of the 

 periodical flights of butterflies which take place here ? They usually occur 

 shortly before the S.W. monsoon (about April). Occasionally, owing to 

 cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, we get a few fine days, but very cold during 

 our wettest months, December and Janaury, and then a small flight takes 

 place. During the big flight, which lasts about a week, the butterflies pass 

 in millions, and for one or two days you can almost imagine that it is 

 snowing, so thickly do they come. The direction of the flight is from 

 north to south. The species represented in the flight are mostly Catopsilia 

 catilla and C. crocale, with a few C. pyranthe, and Catophaga neombo and 

 C. galene. The female of C. catilla varies much on the under side ; I have 

 five different ones, and they all appear to be equally abundant. Another 

 butterfly that often goes in big flights is Isamia asela, usually accompanied 

 hy Parantica ceylouica. This flight usually takes place about February; 

 but this year, owing probably to the cold, it has not yet taken place. The 

 native tradition is, that they go to Adam's Peak. My tea-maker, who has 

 been a sailor, tells me that he has often seen a flight of yellow butterflies 

 out at sea, when out of sight of land, especially off the coasts of Ceylon 

 and India. I myself have noticed, when out dredging, Isamia asela flying 

 out to sea, and when going to the Maldive Islands, last year, we saw two 

 of the same species ; we were then about 100 miles from tlie Maldives, and, 

 as I saw none there, they must have come from Ceylon, and against the 

 wind. For any information as to the reason of these flights 1 shall be 



