1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



167 



varieties has been forwarded to Mr. Fletcher, in Canada, one is in the 

 collection of our valued correspondent, Mr. F. N. Pierce, and the 

 remaining pair are cherished by their fortunate breeder as much on 

 account of their extraordinary history as from their value as rarities. 

 I hope to give a figure of this beautiful form in a future number. 



Hepialus humuli.— On p. 151, Dr. Chapman suggested that the 

 $ of this species was attracted by scent as well as by sight. To 

 follow up the idea I confined two males in a chip box. They were 

 taken while hovering, the time at which the odour, if there were one, 

 would be given off. Next morning there was a faint but decided 

 perfume in the box, which was still more distinct after longer 

 confinement. I then enclosed other four males in a similar chip box, 

 and the strength of the odour was this time considerably greater than 

 before It gave me the idea of decaying pineapple, but possibly the 

 expectation of such a smell might help the idea of it ; a lady to whom 

 I submitted the box, asked if I had had peach stones m it. The 

 boxes were subsequently sent to Dr. Chapman who writes : " Both 

 the boxes still have a decided odour which I cannot exactly liken to 

 anything I know. I think with my observations, the brushes of the 

 , and this experiment on odour, you are sufficiently armed to say 

 Humuli ^ attracts ? from a distance by smell, and when near 

 (perhaps three yards) by sight." The retention of the odour in the 

 box nearly a week after the insects had been set at liberty explains 

 another phenomena that has been several times observed and recorded, 

 viz. : the attraction of the <^ to a place where the 5 had 

 probably been some time before. In August, i8go, I took a number 

 of ^ H. sylvinus flying to a spot on the turf, pushing themselves down 

 upon it and searching about before flying away. I had no doubt a $ 

 had been there, perhaps the previous evening. I went back to the spot 

 the following night and found that only a few specimens were then 

 attracted, and did not seem so eager or certain. In 1891, I observed 

 exactly the same with N . xanthogvapha, though I did not return on the 

 second evening. This year I made a somewhat similar observation 

 respecting E. albulata for which see next note. 



Emmelesia albulata. — On 8th June last, I saw this species flying 

 freely in a meadow where yellow rattle abounded. It was just six 

 o'clock and the sun was shining brightly. As I wandered about, 

 netting one or two well-marked forms, I observed a large number at 

 one particular spot. On reaching it I saw two already paired, sitting 

 on a grass stem. Around them the males were sitting, five or six on 

 every stem, looking like small white signal flags waving in the wind, 

 while others hovered about and tried to find places where to settle, 

 pushing others off", and especially crowding up to those already 

 paired. I had received Dr. Chapman's note (p. 151) tl^it day and 



