Insects. 



6693 



repays you. It may also be objected that this is "patching" an insect. I can 

 only say that I am willing to mix up, patched and unpatched, the above dozen 

 insects, and to challenge any eye to detect the difference. The only drawback to my 

 method that I am conscious of is that sometimes the body contracts. This, however, 

 may almost always be obviated by not " operating" too soon, and by letting the body 

 remaiu some days before immersion into the camphine. A little practice and perseve- 

 rance will soon make perfect, and no one deserves the name of entomologist who will 

 not devote a little of each to make his collection worthy of inspection. Though my 

 plan, be it good or bad, applies of course chiefly to insects taken or bred by myself, I 

 adopt it, whenever I can, with those I obtain from my correspondents. In this latter 

 case the operation is much more difficult, owing to the hardness, and in some instances 

 the antiquity, of the specimens sent. I "clean out" all my own insects, even the 

 little " pugs." I may remark here, however, that females seldom grease. If the 

 wings of the insect, when removed from the setting-board, are not thoroughly dried, 

 the insect can of course be replaced. It may perhaps have occurred to some of your 

 readers (as it has to me) that when an insect has been taken at sugar, it (the sugar) 

 will exude, and spoil the body. In this case I also break off the body, and soak it for 

 half a day in water, and then place it on blotting-paper before a fire for some hours. 

 This completely removes it. I shall be happy to give any further information to any 

 one who may think it worth his while to apply to me for it. — Joseph Greene; Cubley 

 Rectory, Doveridye, Derby. 



Capture of Pier is Daplidice on the Kent Coast. — Mr. H. J. Harding, whose name 

 as a most assiduous collector is so familiar to us all, has been fortunate enough to take 

 two specimens of this, the rarest of British butterflies. They were taken at Kingsdown, 

 close to the sea-coast, and had probably just been blown over from the coast of 

 France. The days of capture were the 1st and 18th of August. — Edward Neivman. 



Deilephila Galii. — An unusual number of the larvae of this insect bave been found 

 near the south-east coast, feeding on the lady's bedstraw. I have heard of more than 

 seventy ; thirty-six have fallen to the lot of one entomologist. Other examples of the 

 same insect have been found on Fuchsias near London. — Id. 



A Ray of Light on the Food-plant of Sphinx Convolvuli. — A friend of mine, long- 

 resident in Paris, has, year after year, found the larva? of Sphinx Convolvuli feeding 

 on cultivated balsams in the gardens of the Luxembourg. I have seen the moths bred 

 from them, and there is no doubt whatever about the species. Balsams are now in 

 perfection, and entomologists will do well to look under them for the very conspicuous 

 droppings of this huge caterpillar. A chrysalis has been dug up in a potato field 

 near Brighton, and sold for Acherontia Atropos. — Id. 



Gastropacha ilicifolia. — On looking for larvae on the Moors, with Mr. Baker, of 

 Heeley, we found some larvae very like potatoria. On returning home we called on 

 Mr. W.Green, who was the original discoverer of G. ilicifolia, and who informed us of 

 our good fortune; he also, the day before, received some larvae from off the Moors, 

 amongst which he was very glad also to find G. ilicifolia. — IV. H. Smith; Ecclesall 

 NeivRoad, Sheffield; August 15, 1859.— [' Intelligencer.'''] 



Another Specimen of Sierrha sacraria. — lam indebted to Mr. Button, of Peck- 

 ham, for the sight of a living specimen of this rare British insect: he took it at a 

 lamp on Clapham Common, on Thursday evening, the 11th of August, and brought 

 it to me the same evening, purposely to afford me the pleasure of seeing it alive. — 

 Edward Newman. 



