c 
“NOTES ON COLLECTING. — 53 
refused. A visit to Knightsford Banden the next day g gave usa fine 
Gonepteryx rhamni; we only saw one other during our stay. On 
August 12th Anaitis plagiata occurred in a wood, and on the 16th, 
while passing a large ash tree, | saw what I thought was a curious 
thickening of the petiole of one of the leaves. A second later the 
cause of this appearance was revealed. The swellings on the petiole 
were the prolegs of a fine larva of Sphinx ligustri, which was other- 
wise hidden by the leaflets. It was of a greyer green than the usual 
specimens one finds on privet. -Polyommatus tearus, Pararge meqaera, 
and Hpinephele tithonus were abundant in the district, Satyrus semele 
locally so, Aglais urticae not humerous, Vanessa io so scarce that only 
one was seen. DPyrametis cardui was not seen at all, while P. atalanta 
was everywhere, from the plains to the summit of the Worcestershire 
Beacon. It was a fine sight to see them flashing up or down the hill 
sides. Jlacroylossa stellatarwm on fine days was well in evidence. On 
dull days I saw them sitting on the rocks on three or four occasions, 
but it required a quick hand to box them.—ALFRED Sicu, F.E.S., 
65, Barrowgate Road, Chiswick. November 80th, 1899. 
Larva or Acrrmia penrapactyta.—On June 28rd last I was turn- 
ing up leaves of Tussilayo farfara in the hope of finding larvee of 
Platyptilia gonodactyla, in a place here where that species occurs. On 
the underside of one leaf I did find a plume larva just spun up, and 
concluded that I had got the desired Pterophorid. It disappointed me, 
however, by producing on July 7th the much more abundant Aciptilia 
pentadactyla. The larva had doubtless wandered from some neigh- 
bouring convolvulus.—Isip. 
Pyrawers atatanta iv January.—The 9th of January was very 
warm ant sunny, and I saw a beautiful specimen of P. atalanta flying 
around and settling upon a haystack in my orchard. It seems 
unusually early for the insect to leave its winter quarters.—J. Mason, 
Clevedon Court Lodge, Somerset. 
VaneEssips In Somerset.—It was remarkable that I did not seea 
single specimen of Vanessa io last year (1899); Pyramets atalanta was 
plentiful, but the specimens small; P. cardui occurred sparingly, and 
Aglais urticae was less abundant than usual.—Is1p. 
ACHERONTIA ATROPOS AND SPHINX CONVOLVULI IN SomeRsEet.—Last 
autumn, pupe of Acherontia atropos were fairly common, and an 
autumnal imago with crippled wings was brought me. A few Sphinw 
convolvuli were taken in the neighbourhood, although I saw none.— 
Isp. 
MacroGhossA STELLATARUM ATTRACTED BY coLOoUR.—Macroglossa 
stellatarum was the insect of the season last year. It was not uncom- 
mon to see three or four specimens at one time at one geranium plant. 
I had some orchids in bloom during the time the insect was out, the 
flowers (rosy-purple in colour) within a foot or eighteen inches from 
the glass of the roof, and it was no uncommon thing to see the moths 
flying backwards and forwards outside just-over the flowers, evidently 
attracted by the colour, as it was impossible for any scent to escape, 
in fact, the particular species in bloom has no scent.—Ism. 
PARARGE EGERIA, Erc., in Bucxs.—After reading the note (ante, p. 
25) I thought it might be interesting -to ‘mention the capture 
of two specimens -of "Par. arge egerta AN. & beech wood lying between 
‘Penn and High Wycombe, Bucks. - * After” spending three hours there, 
