THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 99 



because in this case the nearest point from which the 

 migration could have started (supposing it to have come in a 

 straight line) would have been the coast of Norway. How- 

 ever, the question whether or not the beetles floated in from 

 the North Sea might be easily settled if any one who, about 

 that time, was upon the coasts of Aberdeenshire, Banff* or 

 Elgin, or even the east coast of Caithness or Sutherland, 

 could let us know whether they appeared there or not. 

 I may add that upon their arrival a small proportion of the 

 insects were still alive, but dissection showed them all to be 

 much emaciated. Previous to their arrival there had been 

 little or no wind.^(j. Romanes ; Caius College, Camhridge. 



Collecting Lepidopter a Abroad. — A short time since I 

 saw a number of Lepidoptera which had been sent from the 

 Cape, and the manner in which they had been dried and 

 packed seems to meet the case suggested in the note of your 

 correspondent S. N. C. jun., at p. 79 of this month's ' Ento- 

 mologist.' The insects had been dried with the wings flat 

 over the back, in the position usually assumed by butterflies 

 when at rest, so that little trouble was needed in setting. 

 They were then placed between two thin layers of cotton 

 wool, and folded up separately in thin paper. The whole 

 w^ere then packed in a wooden box, an occasional layer of 

 wool being introduced to keep all steady. When I saw them 

 they were in the most beautiful condition, and I was 

 astonished at the large number contained in a box of about 

 a cubic foot in content. Plenty of camphor had been intro- 

 duced, and apparently with effect, for I saw no mites. There 

 may be nothing new in this, audthe plan may have objections 

 which my slight acquaintance with it did not discover ; so 

 that I shall not be greatly surprised if this note finds its way 

 to the waste-paper basket. — T. Wildman ; Customs, London , 

 May 3, 1870. 



Collecting Insects Abroad. — In reply to the inquiry upon 

 this subject (Entom. v. 79), butterflies and thin-bodied moths 

 carry perfectly safe in envelopes, one or at most two speci- 

 mens in each envelope, and put away in a tin box loosely 

 (a cigar or other box will do, but tin is secure against all 

 vermin). Before the box is full it is as well to have some 

 crumpled paper therein, to prevent the envelopes moving 

 about. In this way, and also in old letter-paper folded 



