18 DITMJN NATXTEAL HI8T0RT SOCIETY. 



I read the history of the butterfly, and learned that its haunts are the 

 sea-shore, and its flight so rapid as to render its capture a matter of 

 considerable difficulty. I think it a matter to be rcf^retted that the de- 

 rivation of names of genera is not generally explained in works of 

 natural history. Not finding Colias explained, I have been guessing at 

 its derivation, and as I find KoXcd signifies a dance, I presume the name 

 of the genus to be derived from that word, expressive of its mode of 

 flight Colias, I find also, was one of the names of Venus, from a pro- 

 montory in Attica of that name, whence, possibly, the genus may have 

 been named. 



The specimens presented this evening were collected by one of our 

 members, Mr. Richard B. Ussher, a young gentleman from whose zeal 

 in the pursuit of natural history much good may be expected. He has 

 already presented a large number of insects (which I hold in trust for 

 the Society until proper cases shall be provided), besides other donations 

 to the Society. These specimens were obtained in the autumn of 1855, 

 and about the same time several other specimens were obtained by Mr. 

 Samuel W. Tyndall, at Glanmire, county of Cork. This insect, though 

 tolerably plentiful in England in some localities, is not to be counted 

 on as being sure to be found, so much so, that many have considered its 

 appearance triennial, quadriennial, and others septennial. 



I shall proceed to read Mr. Ussher' s account of the capture of the 

 specimens presented by him. *' In the autumn of 1855 I was staying 

 at Ardmore, a place situated in the county of Waterford, between the 

 towns of Dungarvan and Youghal ; and being out walking one day round 

 the cliff's, or rather in the fields above the cliffs, I was catching painted 

 ladies ( C. cardui), red admirals ( V. ammiralis), and other butterflies, which 

 occurred there in great abundance, when I observed a yellow butterfly 

 which came flying up over the cliff ; it flew very fast, and constantly 

 alighted on the yellow flowers of the dandelion, which it closely re- 

 sembled in colour, so that it could not be easily distinguished amongst 

 them when it was not flying about As I had never seen such a creature 

 before, I pursued it, and easily captured it when it was feeding on a 

 flower, but I could not catch it on the wing, it was such a strong flier; 

 it proved to be a male of the species mentioned. After this I saw several 

 others in the same locality ; I suppose I saw twenty in that season al- 

 together, but I never saw more than two in the same day : they always 

 seemed to prefer dandelion or some other yellow flower. In the end of 

 October I saw a male one day amongst the heath and furze on the side 

 of a hill near Cappagh, about six miles from Dungarvan Bay, which is 

 the nearest sea-coast. I succeeded in catching five of them that year at 

 Ardmore — namely, three males and two females. I did not see any of 

 them in the same locality this summer, as this was an unusually bad 

 year for butterflies. I understand that others caught some near the same 

 place, and at the same time as I did. — R J. Ussheb." 



Dr. Kinahan observed that it was most gratifying to find that the 

 country members of the Society were not altogether forgetful of its 



