78 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[April 



thing when he compared Mr. Baxter's testacea var. with what he cahed 

 L. nickerlii, wAhoVit proper reference to the authorities; and a still 

 more foolish thing in sinking what may he a distinct Continental 

 species on no evidence whatever. Re N . coiijiua, Mr. South regrets 

 that I cannot discuss the matter of confiua " in a fair and impartial 

 spirit,'* and yet in the course of a few lines he uses the following 

 phrases : — " Criticised in his usual style," " indulged in a few mis- 

 quotations," " seems to imply," " Dr. Mason may or may not have 

 made the statement," "an adept in the art of garbling," "his 

 Record," which appear to be remarkable signs of " a fair and 

 impartial spirit." I am really very sorry for Mr. South, for he rarely 

 writes anything that does not call down vials of wrath from some one 

 or other. I know he did not mean to make an abortive attack on 

 Dr. Mason through me, but unfortunately he did, and I can only 

 regret that he got such a superficial knowledge of his subject before 

 writing. I wrote all I had to write in the February part of The 

 British Naturalist. There is nothing to add or subtract. — J. W. Tutt, 

 March nth, 1892. 



Hepialus rectus. — I have frequently taken H. hectiis with silver 

 spots on the hind wings both near Glasgow and in Argyleshire. It 

 occurs generally in the male, but I once met with a female in which 

 there were faint traces of silver on the hind wings. The male with 

 these spots is not very rare in Argyleshire, but it is not by any means 

 common. It flies about the brackens at dusk, often very abundantly. 

 They hover for a little under the fronds, then dart to another fern. 

 Sometimes they are so sluggish that you may catch them with your 

 hand, at other times they are lively enough. — J. Mackay, Glasgow. 



Micro Larv/E for the Month. — At the wish of many friends I 

 purpose continuing some short notes of the larvae occurring each 

 month, and although many of them have perhaps been mentioned 

 in my former articles, my wish to assist all those who have just begun 

 to study this interesting group, must be my excuse for again men- 

 tioning theni, for I know by experience a timely hint now and then is 

 a great encouragement, for in this, as in many other matters, the 

 main difiiculty lies in the beginning, once get over that, the path is 

 easy, for most of the species are easily set, and collecting the larvae 

 may be pursued at any time, in dull weather or fine ; a few tin boxes 

 or small bags in the pocket is all that is required at most times, 

 unless one is out for a whole day's collecting, when of course it is best 

 to go well prepared. Owing to other pressing matters during the 

 coming season, these notes will be just a rough idea of what may be 

 done each month as it occurs ; next year, if all is well, I hope to 

 continue my former articles, with descriptions of the larvae then 

 mentioned, also a few directions as to collecting them in the imago 



