196 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



variety — Valezina Sibylla — was this season very com- 

 mon, but most of them were by this time "past." 

 One of the little boys of James Gulliver, of Brocken- 

 hurst, had the good fortune to secure a grand black 

 variety of this insect, the white bands on all the 

 wings being nearly obliterated. I must say it was 

 well earned, as the youngster is a most indefatigable 

 collector, possessing a genuine and ardent love for 

 the study. Galathea was in prime beauty, some of 

 my specimens being quite yellow. Auroraria and 



Fig. 103. — Marbled White Butterfly. Upper side. 



Fig. 104. — Marbled White Butterfly (Melanagria Galathea). 

 Under side. 



than the light. In some marshy ground adjoining, 

 Drosera rotundifolia luxuriated, with here and there 

 large patches of the golden Asphodel, and the long 

 plumes of Eriophorum polystachyum, with its cottony 

 tufts waving in the breeze. The Myrica Gale sent 

 forth a sweet odour when touched or trodden on. 

 The pretty little Anagallis tenella quite filled up the 



Fig. 105. — White Admiral (Limenitis Sibylla). Under side. 



Meliloti turned up in good numbers. Quadra was 

 just making its appearance as we left. Near the old 

 Rifle Butts, on a common where the Calluna vulgaris 

 grows profusely, we beat out of the heather a nice 

 lot of Plumaria ; but not one female amongst them : 

 it is extraordinary how scarce it is. Obscurata was 

 found frequenting an old sand-pit ; it was hardly 

 worth the trouble and annoyance caused in taking it ; 

 the wind being very high that morning, our eyes, 

 noses, and mouths were filled with the blinding sand. 

 The black form of this moth was much commoner 



Fig. 106. — White Admiral (Limenitis Sibylla). Upper side. 



Fig. 107. — Black variety of White Admiral. Upper side. 



Fig. 108. — Black variety of White Admiral. Underside. 



Fig 109. — Small Black Arches 

 Moth (Nolo, strigula). 



Fig. no. — Hyria Auroraria. 



pools by the roadside. Of course we did not neglect 

 to "sugar," and thus obtained some fine Oo — a moth, 

 we were told, which had not been taken there for 

 three or four years. I was much amused at the 

 remark of one of the working-men collectors, who 

 said it was " getting fashionable again ; " as in 1873 

 it was considered a "duffer," being so exceedingly 

 common that dozens of specimens were sold for two- 



