182 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
RIATION. 
Capture of Agrotis obscura and its vars. in Cambridgeshire. — 
Some years ago this species was not uncommon in one or two restricted 
localities in England. Of late years, however, it has become exceedingly 
rare and is now probably the rarest British member of the genus 
Agrotis. It was therefore vvith great pleasure that I noticed on the 
night of August ist, a specimen on the sugar in Wicken Fen. Since then 
Mr. A. Houghton and myselfhave worked most assiduously for the species 
and have during the last night or two been reinforced by Mr. G. T. Porritt, 
but our combined efforts up to date are not altogether satisfactory from 
a numerical point of view, most evenings producing but three or four 
specimens between us. However, the specimens are still in fine con- 
dition and I have no doubt Mr. Houghton will render a good account 
of the species before it disappears for the season. At any rate it is 
certainly interesting to know that the species is still among us, and 
likely to find its way into our cabinets more frequently than it has of late. 
The forms of obscura which we have taken are as follows: — (i). 
Costa red, inner margin = obscura, Bork. (2). Costa red, 
inner margin grey-brown, space between reniform and orbicular, dark 
= var. ravida, Hb. (3). Grey-brown = var. obducta, Esp. (4). Grey- 
brown, space between reniform and orbicular, dark = var. bigramma, 
Esp. We have also an odd specimen or so each of the following 
vars.: — (5). Reddish-brown = var. rufa. (6). Reddish, space between 
reniform and orbicular, dark = var. austera, Esp. (7). Greyish-black, 
unicolorous = var. suffusa. 
It is worthy of remark that those specimens of this species which 
were captured some years ago in East Yorkshire appear to show a more 
general tendency to a red coloration, whilst those which were taken in 
the well-known locality in North Kent were more variable in colour, 
like the specimens now being taken in this neighbourhood. — J. W. 
Tutt, Wicken. August, 1891. 
^fOTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 
Notes of the Season (Lepidoptera). — Tewkesbury. — The season is 
a fairly good one. With regard to sugar, trees that have been done 
night after night have produced for the last three weeks common things 
in abundance, but our better things have been scarce. Sugaring just 
for one night in distant localities has produced but little. Flowers have 
attracted nothing this season, it was just the same last year. Gra?nuiesia 
ttilinea and Agrotis excla 77 iationis have been unusually abundant ; it is 
interesting to note how insects seem to have their special season. -Mia 7 ia 
furimcula has been plentiful, also M. strigilis ; I do not remember 
ever having noticed the former insect here before. — E. C. Dobree Fox. 
So 77 ierset. — The season has been much against entomological work, 
and cold east and north-east winds still prevail, with hail, snow and 
sleet. Such fine days as we have had seem to show that the severe 
winter will not make lepidoptera scarce. Whites have been very 
abundant, and ATithocaris carda 77 imes was frequent on May 12th. 
Cidaria suffu 77 iata has been out in its usual abundance. On such nights 
