NOTES ON THE LARTD.E. 85 



They are difficult to discover when in the grass, the colour of which at that time 

 of the year much resembles theirs- 



The large trees cannot be shaken, and the insects seem to frequent rather 

 the lesser trees (especially Oaks) which are easily shaken ; they generally appear 

 to have one tenant, and some have three or four. The overseers of the " Woods 

 and Forests,'' as I afterwards heard, made sad complaints about the injury to 

 the bark of the young wood from the kicks of the sturdy entomologists^ who were 

 there most hours of the day. I once went myself, at four o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, being unable to spare any 'other time for the purpose, and I think the earlier 

 hours to be favourable for capturing the insects, which appear to be more sleepy 

 or dull before the sun has risen, and enlivened them. I have heard, from many 

 quarters, that besides the numbers taken here, a great many others appeared 

 last year in various parts of the country, and in the letter above alluded to, Mr. 

 Curtis informs me, that a friend of his had had two hundred caterpillars feeding 

 since last year's brood, and that he possesses two himself. 



Nothing can exceed the beauty of this lovely insect when first taken. The 

 superior wings vary, in different individuals, from dark brown to cream-coloured, 

 with intermediate shades of a greenish hue. My specimens were very fine, so 

 much so, that Mr- Curtis asked in his letter if they had been bred, with a view 

 to the treatment of the larvae in his possession. Mine, however, were all taken 

 in the perfect state ; and were killed instantaneously, without any injury to 

 them as specimens for the cabinet, by compression of the thorax. I was very 

 happy in being able to supply my friends with series of this interesting insect. 



NOTES ON THE LARID^E. 

 By Beverley R. Morris. 



During the autumn of 1836 immense flocks of the Gull family visited the 

 Dorset coast, being engaged in the pursuit of the Sprats and Mackarel which 

 then approached the shore. Among them I noticed the following species : — 



Blackbacked Gull, Larus marinus. — Adults of this species are at all times 

 tolerably common in Dorsetshire ; but at this season they were in great numbers, 

 though not so abundant as several other species. The young birds were exceed- 

 ingly numerous. The keenness of its eye almost precludes the possibility of 

 obtaining perfect specimens, though the young may often be procured. This ac- 

 counts for adults being so rare in collections. 



Fuscous Gull, Larus fuscus. — The Fuscous Gull, which had previously been 



