1893] THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 179 



Marlborough. — 28th June, 1893. 



Wood; wind W., strong; sky cloudy, but dry; moonlight. There 

 had been a shower or two in the morning. At sugar : T. batis 1, A. 

 ligustri 7, nebulosa 1, X. polyodon 2, lithoxylea 2, M. anceps 1, TV. augur 2, 

 festival, and many specimens of L. p aliens, A. exclamationis, and M. 

 strigilis. H. S. May, Marlborough. 



London, Dalston, N.E. — 28th June, 1893. 



Larks wood, Hale End (a small wood) ; wind W., strong ; sky 

 clear at the time, changeful during day, somewhat damp after heavy 

 showers. Sugared oak exclusively in sheltered places. Moon at full, 

 but not high enough to penetrate the shadows of a wood. Results : 

 T. batis 5, derasa 4, X. hepatica (worn) 2, lithoxylea 1, T. pronuba 1, N. 

 augur 4, A. exclamationis 1, M. strigilis a few (worn), C. affmis 2. The 

 only other Noctua observed was C. trapezina 1, taken on wing. Poor 

 though this list is, the recent rains (or some other cause) have wrought 

 a great improvement as sugaring at Hale End had hitherto been a 

 complete blank, the best record I have heard being 1 pronuba and 

 2 strigilis. Louis B. Prout, Dalston. 



Marlborough. — 29th June, 1893. 



Wood ; wind S.W. ; sky clear and dry at first, damp cold mist 

 later. At sugar : A. exclamationis 5, scgetum 1, T. pronuba 3, X. polyodon 

 2, lithoxylea 1, M. anceps 1, C. derasa 1, A. ligustri 2, basilinea 2, E. 

 lucipara 1. The following evening the only insects that came were 

 L. lithargyria 4, X. polyodon 1, Utlwxylea 1, and A. advena 1. H. S. May, 

 Marlborough. 



I cannot spare space for further reports in this issue. A large 

 number of those who agreed to record their observations have not 

 sent in their returns for lack of anything to report. I will resume the 

 publication of these reports in next month's magazine, and will be 

 glad if observers will continue their observations during the autumn. 

 May I again say that negative results may help our quest quite as 

 much as successful records. — Ed. B.N. 



THE GENUS SILPHA, Linne. 



BY REV. W. F. JOHNSON, M.A., F.E.S., AND G. A. LEWCOCK. 

 (Continued from page 134.) 



7. S. atrata, L., and its varieties (brunnea, Herbst., and subrotundata, 

 Steph.) are the representatives of the last division of this group. The 

 type form of 5. atrata differs from 5. laevigata in being rather smaller 

 in size, and in having long and comparatively slender antennae, the 



