114 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
Other low plants have to be utilized for sugaring, but notwithstanding 
the absence of shade, a calm, warm night was generally successful even 
with a bright moon. — E. W. Brown, Shorncliffe Camp. May^ 1891. 
Effect of Moonlight. — Messrs. Robinson, Reid and Brown have 
pretty well settled this. The moon is not much of a drawback if un- 
accompanied by frost, but it very often happens to be frosty when the 
moon is bright and atmosphere clear. I never have much hope on 
misty or dewy evenings, and am very seldom disappointed at getting 
but little, after going round the sugar. — J. Collins, Warrington. May 
23M 1891. 
Killing Lepidoptera. — I was interested in the notes {Record^ vol. ii., 
pp. 67, 68) on killing lepidoptera (I would never think of leaving 
specimens in the cyanide jar longer than is necessary to kill them). 
I think potassium cyanide answers every purpose if properly used. I 
make my cyanide bottle in the following way : — I put in the bottom of 
the bottle about an ounce of cyanide in pieces about the size of a 
small chestnut, and cover these with dry plaster of paris ; then I pour 
in plaster of the consistency of molasses, sufficient to make a top over 
all of ^ inch in thickness. In killing large moths I use a saturated 
solution of cyanide and introduce it with a toothpick or splinter of 
wood./ This is all introductory to a little point I wish to make in 
regard to a plan that I know of no one else having adopted. Coming 
home tired, I have been obliged to spread (set) my treasures to keep them 
from stiffening. This spreading has to be done when one is tired and 
would prefer to rest My plan now is to put all my specimens in the 
relaxing jar after returning home, and I then spread them at my 
leisure, and I find them perfectly relaxed. I can thus leave them for 
forty-eight hours, if necessary. In this way I avoid any stiffening that 
may be produced by the cyanide, and spread them the next day, or the 
third day after capture. Chloroform, I find, stiffens the thoracic muscles 
to such an extent that I never use it. Ammonia I do not like, having 
tried it and given it up. I believe that giving the sand in the relaxing 
jar a good stirring round before putting in specimens helps to prevent 
mould, as does also putting in a fresh piece of paper to put the 
specimens on, if left over twenty-four or forty-eight hours. I think the 
plan of not spreading the insects when tired and played out, and 
putting them in the relaxing jar until you are ready for them, may be 
new to many of your readers. — Henry Skinner, American Entomo- 
logical Society, Logan Square, Philadelphia. Jime ijth, 1891. 
Times of Emergence'. — I quite agree with Dr. Buckell as to the 
superior value of field observations in this matter, and hope to see 
records with regard to many species. On June i6th I happened to be 
hunting oak trunks near here, and found a $ A)nphidasys betularia 
just out of the pupa, running very fast up a tree trunk at 6 p.m. The 
wings were duly expanded about an hour after. Next day at 5 p.m. I 
found a freshly-emerged Smerinthus tilice^ on an elm trunk, with wings 
folded over its back and still limp. — G. H. Raynor, Victoria House, 
Brentwood. June 2o//q i89£. 
Lepidoptera of Sidmouth, Devon. — An account of the Lepidoptera 
of Sidmouth may prove of some interest to the readers of the Record. 
I have been collecting here for three years, with the exception of 
seven or eight weeks during the earlier part of each season, from 
