276 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



early part of February. What its food is in a natural state, I 

 believe is as yet unknown. — Geo. T. Porritt ; Huddersfieldy 

 March 3, 1871. 



The Strychnia and Camphor Crotchets. — I find on 

 enquiry that Mr. Doubleday uses a weak solution of 

 bichloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate) in alcohol to 

 preserve Lepidoptera from ihe attacks of mites and from mould, 

 which it effectually does if properly applied, but I was 

 mistaken in supposing that it prevented specimens from 

 becoming greasy. Mr. Doubleday opens the abdomens of 

 the larger species, carefully removes the contents, and then 

 puts in some finely-powered pipe-clay to absorb any grease 

 that may remain : when this is effected the pipe-clay is taken 

 out and a small quantity of fresh pipe-clay is placed in the 

 abdomen, which is then filled up with cotton-wool cut short: 

 if a small quantity of grease should afterwards exude (which 

 is not often the case) it is easily removed with a little highly- 

 rectified spirits of turpentine and powdered pipe-clay. When 

 the insects are small they are allowed to remain in very 

 pure turpentine for an hour or two. They are then 

 placed for a minute or two on blotting-paper to drain, and 

 lastly covered with fine-powdered pipe-clay, which wilf easily 

 brush off the specimens when they are dry. — Edward 

 Newman. 



Nights for Sugaring. — I have taken the liberty to write 

 these few lines, hoping that you may be able to solve the 

 following difficulty, viz. " That after having selected nights 

 which seemed, by Dr. Knagg's book, to be likely to be 

 favourable, and after having made the sugaring mixture as he 

 directs, and boiled it to the same thickness as treacle, neither 

 I, nor any of my fellow-collectors here, have met with the 

 least success during the last two seasons ; and one gentleman, 

 who has collected all his life in the neighbourhood, has never 

 had any better luck." The soil is chalk and greensand, very 

 prolific in all Lepidoptera. Would you mention the best 

 time of year and nights for sugaring, and the consistency the 

 sugar should be made of, and whether, on most nights seem- 

 ing suitable, one ought to have success, and if it is the 

 exception rather than the rule? — J. S. Butter; Netherton 

 House t near Htuigerford, Berks. 



[I am not acquainted with Dr. Knagg's directions ; but, at 



