HA RD WICKE 'S S CIENCE • G O SSIF. 



27 



the solitude of its deep oak woods, unaltered in many 

 places since the time of its planter, the various orders 

 of creation dwell and increase undisturbed by the 

 hand of man as in perhaps no other place in England. 

 And this the entomologist finds to be specially the 

 case with his chosen objects of study, as the numbers 

 of nets by day and lights by night which are to be 

 seen in its precincts abundantly testify. 



To us dwellers in a northern county the New 

 Forest is always a " land of promise." The southern 

 entomologist may only care for its gi'eat rarities and 

 peculiarly local species ; but to those who inhabit a 

 locality where Rhamni is rarest of the rare ; where 

 the whole groups of " Fritillaries," " Hairstreaks," 

 and "Skippers" are utterly unknoAvn ; where even 

 jtEgeria and Hyperaiithiis are not to be missed, — 

 where, in short, about seventeen species of the sixty- 

 five to seventy species of British Diurni only are 

 obtainable, the very commonest species of the Forest 

 are worth having, while its great rarities are prizes 

 more to be vaguely hoped for than definitely expected. 



Thus we set out to visit the New Forest, bent quite 

 as much on eniiching our minds and eyes with the 

 fairest sylvan scenery of England, as our cabinets with 

 choice entomological captures. 



It was a drizzling rain when we alighted from the 

 train at Lyndhurst Road Station, and the long, 

 straight road to the town looked anything but in- 

 viting. However, with knapsack on back and 

 folding-net in pocket, we sallied forth. The dreary 

 heaths and stunted fir plantations near the station do 

 not certainly impress one with the idea of the glorious 

 lichness and fertility of the South of England ; but 

 as one gets further on the trees get thicker and more 

 stately. After about a mile the rain ceased, and the 

 sun shone forth with transient gleam. Hardly had it 

 done so when a splendid Paphia rose from the fern, 

 and sailed off on easy wing ; then the nets came out ; 

 the hurried run forward, dexterous turn of the arm, 

 and quick drop, were the work of an instant, and 

 none but an entomologist could appreciate the delight 

 with which the captive struggling within the gauze 

 was regarded. Hardly had he been effectually boxed 

 when a Sibylla was started, and then a Sylvaniis; 

 and both run down, and then a T. Querctts, all new 

 insects to us, although by many to be regarded with 

 contempt. Then the brightness passed away, and 

 with it all the butterflies. So we continued on our 

 way till we arrived at Lyndhurst, with its long yellow 

 street, its curious church perched on a small hill, and 

 its large and comfortable "Crown." Lyndhurst, 

 however, we quickly discovered, was a much nicer 

 place to look at than to stay in ; in fact, the population 

 seemed far too large for the houses, and we should 

 advise any one who contemplated a visit to that 

 wood-encircled town to make sure beforehand of a 

 comfortable lodging. Although it may be quite true 

 that to the ordinary Britisher, the greater part of 

 whose life is passed in an artificial and monotonous 



way, it is really enjoyable for a season to throw oft 

 all conventionalities, and take the varying chances of 

 travel with all the zest of novelty, yet excess destroys 

 the charm in this even more quickly than in most 

 other things. However, our choice of accommoda- 

 tion being limited — in fact, restricted to the only 

 empty apartments in the village, or to return by the 

 way we came — we accepted the former, and deter- 

 mined to live as much as possible out of doors, in 

 which we were fortunately pretty successful. 



The next day rose in unclouded splendour ; so we 

 soon equipped ourselves with nets and boxes, and 

 took the road to the woods of Denny, which are con- 

 sidered as some of the best in the Forest for insects. 

 On the way, by the side of the oak plantations, a few 

 Sibylla were captured, as also Paphia, and a few 

 other things; then came a bare and bleak heath, 

 where Senielc and Algeria were abundant ; but both 

 moor and insects seemed as old friends ; so we con- 

 tinued, and after crossing a marshy hollow, came up 

 into a splendid piece of rank vegetation under the 

 shadow of the mighty oaks of Denny. Then the real 

 sport began. Adippe was numerous, Paphia more 

 so ; but Sibylla was nearly past, and all the specimens 

 we obtained were rubbed, and quite unfit for the 

 cabinet. Great tall thistles and other flowers grew 

 in uncultured profusion in this place, and on their 

 petalssat these great butterflies, "opening and shutting 

 splendid wings." Skippers buzzed backwards and 

 forwards ; in fact, the place was alive with insect 

 life of every kind. One was quite bewildered, fairly 

 brought to a standstill by cinbarras de riches ; the 

 killing-box would not act quickly enough, and nets 

 had an unaccountable propensity to catch in brambles ; 

 but this sport, though exciting, was tiring — up and 

 down hill, net in hand, hat gone, coat-tails flying 

 behind, with tin boxes clinking in the pockets thereof, 

 and at the same time attacked and bitten by the 

 hateful forest fly. After a short time at this we were 

 glad enough to sit down sub tegmine fagi, and pin 

 out our captures, and then up and at them again. 

 Proceeding a little further, a grand Polychloros was 

 netted, and just after a beautiful female Argiolus, and 

 then a male of the same species — Qiierats, Rhamni, 

 and Sinapis — added to the slain, while L. quadra 

 and Trapezina rewarded our beating among the 

 oaks ; and the same operation in the heather doomed 

 Myrtilli and a few others to the ammonia-box and 

 setting-board. The old entomologist would have 

 smiled at the rapture which gi-eeted the boxing of a 

 good specimen of these to him common things ; but 

 profusion or the contraiy are only relative qualities, 

 and the position might just be reversed in the case of 

 Opima or Zoiiaria. For Ms we hoped in vain, 

 although we were told that several had been taken 

 that year. Among our Paphia were many of the 

 dark variety of female ; but none were of veiy first- 

 rate quahty, as they had been on the wing too long ; 

 in fact, we discovered that the early part of July, 



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