NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 
231 
Pitcaple . — Insects are still very scarce, and treacle is of no use, but 
larvae are more abundant than usual. The following, among others, 
are my captures for the last fortnight ; — Smerinthus populi^ abundant ; 
Arctia fuliginosa, common ; A. mendica I turned up for the first time 
a few days ago, and in a short time picked up a large number ; Orgyia 
fascelina^ a few, larvae of this species are excessively late this year ; 
Demas coryli^ a few ; Bombyx rubi^ not uncommon ; B. calluna^ three. 
I have searched the hills for miles upon miles, and have only taken the 
above ; a few years ago it would have been quite possible to have 
taken them in cartloads ; Saturiiia carpini^ rather scarce ; Dicranura 
furcula^ plentiful ; D. vinula, very common ; Notodonta camelina^ 
common ; N. dictcea^ a few; N. dictcBoides^ under a dozen ; N. drome- 
darius, a few dozens (I have not had time to work up the larvae of this 
species yet) ; N. ziczac, fairly plentiful ; Thyatira batis^ scarce, only a 
few ; Cymatophora fluctuosa and C. or, both rather scarce ; Acronycta 
( Viminia) inenyanthidis in large numbers. I have now searched a wide 
district for this species with splendid results. A. (V.) 7 nyricce, fairly 
plentiful ; Dianthoicia capsincola, a very few ; D. conspersa, not a great 
number ; Hadena adusta, abundant ; H. pisi, common ; H. rectilinea, 
rare ; Habrostola urticce, common. — W. Reid, Pitcaple. September 
iS^h, 1891. 
Kingstown, Ireland. — I have had a little leisure, only a few days at a 
time, for entomology, but have been rather unfortunate in my captures. 
On the coast I have taken a few Agrotis where I expected swarms, a 
few cursoria, tritici, and valligera. The latter, however, seem to me 
rather remarkable, tending to have the white markings brown, and, in 
two instances, this variation is strongly marked. Two or three Helo- 
tropha leucostigma and fibrosa have turned up, and one fine Lupe- 
rina cespitis $ . The scarcity of moths is well shown iri my captures of 
only 5 Miana furunciila and 2 M. literosa ! On ragwort among the 
sandhills, scarcely anything to be seen except some Hydrcecia nictitans, 
some of which, however, are very good forms. Naming them from Mr. 
Tutt’s British NoctucE and their Varieties, they appertain to the nictitans 
type, being somewhat small, deep red coloured, sometimes blackish, 
with white stigmata. But a few var. erythrostigma are among them, 
and also a few griscafiavo, which is the first time I have met this 
variety. The district was a peculiar one — a narrow line of sandhills, 
with a fen running for miles parallel to it. I certainly expected better 
luck, but hope to try a few days more, when these high winds have 
subsided. I took a good series of pupje of Nofiagria typhce in the stems 
of Typha latifolia, and found 2 on the 15th, which were already empty, 
and 2 more have emerged since from those I collected. This insect 
must have an extended emergence, for I took several larvae, one of 
which was only half grown at the time I met with the empty pupa 
cases. I notice that the larvae of Smerinthus ocellatus straggle on 
through the season in a similar way. I have now 12 almost full-fed 
and 2 about half an inch long. Also some of the same batch of ova 
were still green and plump a fortnight ago ; but an accident has pre- 
vented my learning whether they were fertile and would hatch out. — 
W. F. V. DE Kane, Sloperton Lodge, Kingstown. September 22nd, 
1891. 
Epping Forest. — When beating for larvae I generally use a sheet, at 
