1889: June 28th-October

1888 July 17th-October 18th. 21st. 1890: July 14th-November 5th.

Polyommatus phloas (Chrysophanus phloas).—Of the three species of this genus allotted to Britain, this is the only one we can practically claim; for the purple-edged copper (P. chryseis) can only be considered as a visitor, perhaps the only plausible occurrence being that of Ashdown Forest, Sussex; while yet another, the scarce copper (P. virgaurea), is said to have been taken in the marshes of the Isle of Ely, and in Huntingdonshire. The large copper (P. dispar) used to swarm in the fens of Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire; the metropolis of the insect was apparently the vicinity of Whittlesea Mere; while a specimen is recorded from Bardolph Fen. Probably this was a border limit for the insect, as it is within a short distance of the higher ground, and possibly the only locality within our county. Bearing this in mind, I always give the water-dock a hawk's-eye view, when happening to meet with it. Although considered specifically distinct from the continental P. hippothöe by the older authors, I suppose now it is only considered to be a variety of that species, and its extinction in Britain favours this latter view, as I do not believe in the so easy extinction of a species, properly so called, and that confined to one spot of one island of a Continent. That it should exceed in size and vary in its markings is not conclusive evidence, seeing that the whole order is so much subject to variation; there always seems to be an accommodating process going on in nature, and this fen locality may have especially suited the development of this butterfly, as it does to-day a certain breed of farm stock. Our present little species is a lively insect, flashing about in much the same fashion as the blues, but is not quite so exploratory perhaps; the flights seem to be shorter and more rushing, as if to some destined spot. I have noticed that this and the blue often rest on the same flower-head, while this species would drive a larger insect than itself away. I have only once come across the insect in June, skipping about in the midst of a pasture, where sorrel was very plentiful, at just about the same height and manner as related of the small heath. The last batch is more often seen in the ditches, where a greater variety of wild flowers abound. This butterfly was most abundant in 1890, after the fine weather set in, lasting well into September. Unobserved in preliminary stages.

1888: June 14th. 1889: August 30th-September 11th. 1890: August 23rd-September 23rd.

Lycana icarus (Polyommatus alexis).-The only blue yet observed, and it is natural that it should be a species that is not fastidious as regards soil. Notwithstanding the rich tiling of many species, perhaps this catches the observer's eye as well as any. Assuming this is my only blue, it may be seen as far distant as any, the colours blue and green naturally contrasting

so well, so naturally is the colour of the upper regions reflected in this butterfly. It may be seen on the wing in June, but the latter brood is the more abundant, usually occurring most in August, continuing into fine Septembers. I saw more of it in 1887 than in the last three seasons together. Unobserved in preliminary stages.

1888: June 21st-28th. 1889: August 30th-September 14th. 1890: June 2nd-September 15th.

Hesperia sylvanus (Pamphila sylvanus).-Like the last, the only representative of its tribe. This butterfly occurs regularly in June, being often seen in a certain spot. Contrary to most species, it is far more plentiful in the first than in the second emergence, being most frequent during June. The flights of this insect are short, the so-called skipping very rapid during bright sunshine, in duller weather less active. One dull morning, after rain had fallen, I caught a specimen with the finger and thumb, as it was settled upon a reed. This insect does not linger at all late in the season; I have not known it to extend to September. Unobserved in preliminary stages.

1st.

1888 June 16th-August 21st. 1889: June 22nd-August 1890: June 16th-July 24th.

Nordelph, Downham Market, Norfolk, Nov. 5, 1890.

COLLECTING IN WALES.

By J. ARKLE.

For those who are high-minded let me prescribe much riding on Welsh railways. Whether you shoot along the stone heaps beyond Bala, or touch the edge of the sea-cliffs at Barmouth, or screw round a mountain on the "narrow guage," the moral is the same-you are as helpless, and, let us hope, as humble, as the two-year-old who possibly shares with you the compartment. There is nothing to be seen out of window to make you rise in your own estimation. You are immediately shot across a gaping glen or rocky chasm, and the sight of a foxglove, with its possible Eupithecia pulchellata, only intensifies the idea that you are done with all things sublunary. And yet accidents are just as rare as on other lines, nor are the insurance rates higher. With such philosophies the time went by until the sight of a smart groom and turn-out, at Maentwrog, suggested I might change the scene, and recollect that the business on hand was moths and not morals. Away and along the highway we rolled, and, after picking up my host, Mr. W. J. Kerr, who pointed to the scorched-looking oaks nearly defoliated by swarms of Tortrix viridana, the evening of July 14th found me once more among the leafy shades of Tan-y-Bwlch (Under the Hill), and by the waters of Glan

William. The weather, which had marked the whole of the summer, was about as wet and cold as a summer could be, but we began without loss of time our raid upon the insects. The evening was so wet that we confined our operations to the garden, where we found Apamea basilinea, A. oculea, Metrocampa margaritaria, Abraxas grossulariata, Camptogramma bilineata, Hypena proboscidalis, and Zanclognatha grisealis (nemoralis).

July 15th.-A fine, warm, sunny day, and we made the most of it. Merionethshire is a land of fritillaries, but, as everyone knows, these butterflies have their haunts. It was too early in the season for Argynnis paphia, but, in an opening in the wood among the Plas grounds, and near the lake, we netted A. selene (worn) and A. adippe, also Epinephele ianira, and, by beating, Melanthia ocellata. A fine dark brown dragonfly, with yellow spots and stripes (Eschia pratensis), was also taken, but unfortunately the colours of this insect are not permanent, and soon fade after setting. The afternoon was spent on the heath-, fern-, birch-, and oak-covered slopes, which border the ascent to the celebrated Black Falls. All along A. aglaia and A. adippe-apparently fresh from the chrysalis-were common; we took a number of each species. Anaitis plagiata often rose from the heathery banks, and beating about among the tall ferns produced Angerona prunaria. E. ianira, a sort of robin redbreast among butterflies, -for few care to molest it,—was a frequent visitor, and pursued its meditative flight undisturbed. A fine dragonfly, Libellula cærulescens, rose from the bank, and was promptly stopped. The following is a description:-Head and thorax dark brown, with the usual couple of yellow frontal stripes, and couple of dorsal yellow spots, colours not permanent; body ample, plum-coloured blue, colours permanent, length 1 in., segments with black divisions; wings transparent, nervures black, expanse 2 inches. I see from my notes that the afternoon list ends with C. bilineata, and that its profusion was fearful and wonderful. Evening found us on the Festiniog road watching the honeysuckle bloom on the hedges for a late Chorocampa porcellus or C. elpenor. We were unsuccessful, although this is a favourite haunt for both insects. Our captures were Uropteryx sambucaria, Rumia luteolata (cratagata), Boarmia repandata (exceptionally large and light-coloured), Acidalia aversata, Abraxas grossulariata, Hypsipetes sordidata (elutata, variable as usual), Cidaria populata, Eubolia limitata (mensuraria), Phalera bucephala, Noctua plecta, Triphæna pronuba, Aplecta nebulosa (all very light forms), Cucullia umbratica (common), Plusia iota, Caradrina cubicularis, and Aphomia colonella.

July 16th.-A fine morning, spent in setting. We started in the afternoon for the Black Falls, taking on our way Dictyopteryx bergmanniana and Coccyx ustomaculana. A deluge of rain compelled us to return home, where we arrived wet through. The

evening was a damp one; but we turned out, and netted Cabera pusaria, M. margaritaria, Thyatira batis, Hydrocia nictitans, Agrotis exclamationis, Bromolocha fontis (crassalis), and Hypena proboscidalis. At sugar we had poor luck, meeting only our old friends Xylophasia monoglypha (polyodon), T. pronuba, A. exclamationis, T. batis, and Cidaria truncata (russata). I boxed a female glow-worm, Lampyris noctiluca, as it brilliantly lit up an inch of grass in the wood.

July 17th.-A fine, warm, but sunless day. Mr. Kerr and I drove to Penrhyndeudraeth, a distance of eight miles. The nearest approach I can make to this formidable word is Pen-rindy-dreth. Like other Welsh names it is singularly descriptive, and means the headland between the two estuaries. There we started by train for a week's collecting at Aberdovey, a little town of a thousand inhabitants, half-way along the shores of Cardigan Bay, and, as the name implies, at the mouth of the Dovey. Parallel with the north shore of the estuary, and running away east and behind the town, is a range of heights some 300 feet above the sea-level. In the neighbourhood of the town these hills are covered with grass, furze, and fern, and are said to be a locality for Lycana arion. As the heights run inland they are covered with a luxuriant growth of native oak, and midway between Aberdovey and Glandovey Junction they descend, within a few hundred yards of the estuary, in woody valleys meeting round a common centre. Here lies some of the finest scenery imaginable, and here lay our best butterfly ground. We reached Aberdovey, via Barmouth, at noon, and operations began at once by the discovery of Dianthacia larvæ in the seed-pods of bladder campion growing about the railway-station. These caterpillars we made out to be D. carpophaga and D. capsophila. They pupated after I returned to Chester, before the end of the month. After lunch at the Dovey Hotel we turned out to secure quarters, and noticed on our way specimens of Bryophila perla at rest upon the walls. Our first attempt at securing lodgings was a failure, owing to the landlady taking alarm at our demand to be out at all hours of the night. This, coupled with a statement that our business was "moths," brought upon us expulsion. However, at No. 1, Bodfor Terrace, we triumphed in the surrender of a latch-key, and there we spent as happy, as homely, and as comfortable a week as could fall to the lot of humanity. The list for the afternoon is as follows:-Larvæ of Bombyx rubi; C. umbratica at rest; by beating brambles, St. John's wort, &c., Hemithea strigata (thymiaria), Emmelesia decolorata, Eupithecia subfulvata var. oxydata, E. linariata, E. exiguata, E. pumilata (plentiful), Mimaseophilus plagiodactylus, M. ocellata, Acidalia bisetata, A. marginepunctata (promutata), Cidaria pyraliata, Pelurga comitata, and Scoparia mercurialis.

A bottle of rum, a lantern, a treacle-pot and a blacking br

are not common ornaments to a sea-side costume, and our hostess viewed these auxiliaries in the art of fascination with some curiosity. Every evening we sallied forth with these additions to our personal appearance. We had two sugaring grounds, and they had the advantage of being near at hand. No. 1 began at the large white hotel, a few hundred yards away on the road to the railwaystation, and occupied some years ago by a religious community, but since untenanted. The deep silent doorways of this lonely building were convenient shelters in the rain, until we were informed we were upon forbidden ground. Every succeeding night a sentry was placed upon the premises, and the occasional step we heard through the darkness showed-as they harmoniously sing in The Yeoman of the Guard" He kept his solemn watch and ward." From this hotel, along the road at the base of the hills, we sugared everything,-gates, posts, rocks and plants. Our second ground was the sand-hills, only a couple of hundred yards off, and near the sea. Here a line of posts in the fence beyond the railway provided every accommodation for the treacle. The sand-hills are not equal to those of Wallasey. A suspicious-looking mark looks as if much of the ground lay under water in the spring tides. Still there is plenty of vegetation, the trefoils, the bedstraws, mullein, fennel, and maritime grass. Farther away, a marsh lies between the sand-hills and the road, with any amount of water-dock, sedge, and willow. Flowers there were, and fit to adorn any garden :-the viper's bugloss, with its host of purple and pink blossoms; the sea thistle, with its prickly, pale, pea-green leaves and sky-blue flower-balls; and groves of the tall evening primrose, with its large yellow blooms open to the night. We tried the latter at dusk to see if Deilephila galii would turn up, but we only netted X. monoglypha and Miana bicoloria (furuncula). The night was warm, dark, and threatening for rain. It was now time to examine the sugar, and we found moths in swarms at it. I never saw anything to equal our success. X. monoglypha, in hundreds, showed several beautiful varieties, the finest, a very lightcoloured example, with markings almost black, being now in the collection of Mr. Kerr. The next insect in point of numbers was Hadena oleracea, and it was equally conspicuous for variation. Triphana pronuba, T. orbona, Leucania lithargyria, L. conigera, X. lithoxylea, came next. We also took several specimens of Mamestra albicolon and M. persicaria, Caradrina blanda, Nonagria fulva, and light and dark varieties of Agrotis segetum. The following are our additional lists at sugar:

July 18th.-Warm, wet day, with night showers. Thyatira derasa, Cerigo matura (cytherea), M. bicoloria (furuncula), Agrotis lunigera, A. corticea; X. monoglypha and H. oleracea (nuisances); L. conigera (fine varieties), L. lithargyria, L. pallens, Noctua