Cumberland. 561 



hoar frost, and pretty sharp at night. Tlie tortoise shell 

 (Vanessa urticae) was observed flying about in a lively manneiE 

 ill the streets of Whitehaven. ^ '**•'♦ ^o ^h'\rMm\ 



5th. Took an excursion of some five arid twenty miles, 

 principally over the coal formation on the west coast of Cum- 

 berland. Observed several tadpoles [embryo frogs] in a pond, 

 which I fancy is early. In another pond, I observed eight or 

 ten frogs (i2ana temporaria) forming a ball, and tumbling about 

 in the water: one had something white protruding from its 

 mouth. They suffered me to draw them to land, when I found 

 the white substance was part of the intestines of a female, 

 which apparently had been squeezed out by the embraces of 

 the male, which is much smaller than the female, and holds 

 the latter so tightly as not to be separated without exercising 

 considerable force. Multitudes of Gyrinus natator were gyrat- 

 ing about. Great numbers of various kinds of dung beetle 

 were on the wing. ^ '■ 



9th. The weather, unusually warm for the season, seems 

 to have infused summer vigour into the spring swarm of 

 Vanessa urticae: they are flying about the lanes in numbei's^r 

 with much vivacity, and are remarkably shy of approach. 

 Near Papcastle, a solitary specimen of the peacock butterfly 

 (Vanessa Vo) was observed ; the secondary wings imperfect, 

 but not to be captured for all that. This is singular, as I do 

 not remember having seen one of this kind at this season of 

 the year ; certainly not for the last four or five years. On the 

 banks of the river Derwent, near Broughton, for the first time, 

 I observed a few of the small cabbage butterfly. Previously to 

 this, in the neighbourhood of Whitehaven, I had seen several 

 of the wall butterfly (Hipparchia MegseVa) ; but they were 

 sluggish, and easily caught. Last year, the caterpillars and 

 chrysalis of the Vanessa urticae were uncommonly numerous :< 

 the previous year they were as remarkably scarce. This 

 spring their colours are brilliant and rich. • : ' f'i 



14th. The weather had been chill, and caused the retreat 

 of the insect tribe. This morning it was warmer. In the 

 meadows, near Whitehaven, on the stump of an old oak^I^ 

 saw the small brown land lizard (Zacerta agilis) : I made an 

 attempt to take it, but it showed me the appropriateness of its 

 name, by darting into a whin bush as quick as lightning, f 

 captured a iStaphylinus erythropterus, so called by Leachilt; 

 Samouelle's Entomologisfs Compendium. lAi *1i*iy*j 



1 5th. A friend being at Fleswick, a small bay on the se'a^ 

 shore, captured one of those green beetles marked with gold 

 spots, the Cicindela campestris, I believe. 



16th. Having the appearance of rain, and indications fa-* 

 Vol. v. — No. 28. oo 



