I 70 The Irish Naturalist. 



on the I5tli July, a deformed Purple Hair-Streak {Thecla quercus) was 

 found by my son under an oak tree in the grass. Keeping a look-out 

 we soon noticed more fortunate individuals flying about the tops of oak 

 trees, but entirely out of our reach. They continued on the wing until 

 August 12th (possibly later), and I obtained a fair number of specimens. 

 About four o'clock in the afternoons they become very active, playing 

 with and chasing their companions in groups of from two to six or eight, 

 and then is the collector's opportunity, as in so doing they frequently 

 come within his reach, and he may, as I frequently did, secure several at 

 one stroke of the net. A light handle, some ten feet long, I found a 

 great help in dealing with this "high-flyer." Silver- washed Fritillaries 

 {Argynnis pcqjhia), were very abundant all through the wood, the only 

 variet}^ obtained being a specimen in very good condition, in which the 

 right pair of wings are female, and the left male. — Francis Neale, Limerick. 



Butte: RFi^iES from Howth. In August this year I took on the Hill 

 of Howth a fine specimen of the Peacock Butterfly ( Vanessa io), female, 

 I do not know whether this is a rare occurrence or not; it was so to me 

 at least. At several places on the Hill the Grayling {Satyrus semele) was 

 exceedingly abundant. The Painted Lady {Vanessa cardui) was also a 

 fairly common insect at several places on the Baldoyle coast, and the 

 Ringlet {Ej^inejyJiile hyjjeranthes) was of frequent occurrence everywhere. — 

 Wni. Starkey, Jr., Rathmines, Dublin. 



[F. io. is not common in Co. Dublin. We saw a specimen lately taken 

 at Kingstown by Mr. R. K. Matheson. — Eds.] 



Vannessa cardui near BeI/FAST. On the June excursion of the 

 Belfast Naturalists' Field Club at Islandmagee I saw several specimens 

 of this beautiful butterfly ; some were captured, and found to be very 

 much faded, evidently hybernated specimens. For several weeks after 

 this I kept a good look-out for larvae, but only succeeded in finding four 

 very small ones in the third week of July, near Helen's Bay station, Co. 

 Down, from which I reared three fine imagos. I think it is about six or 

 seven years since I observed this species, w^hen I took several larvae in 

 this locality. This observ-ation agrees with the Rev. W. F. Johnson's 

 note in the September number of the Irish Naturalist. In the past season 

 I noticed a great scarcity of the larvae of the Tortoise-shell Butterfly, V. 

 icrticce but found the Red Admiral, V. atalanta, numerous, and reared 

 some fine specimens. — ^J. Hamilton, Holyv^^ood. 



BuTTERFi^Y Appearancfs. — I regret that I cannot answer Mr. C. B. 

 Moffat's query {Irish Naturalist, p. 146) as to the nearest constant habitat 

 to Kilderry, of Epinc2)hile hyperanthes. I think, however, I am pretty safe 

 in saying that there is none from which a migration of larvae could be 

 possible. In 1870 I took one specimen at Glenalla, Co. Donegal, and the 

 same summer I found it not uncommon at Kilcronaghan, Co. Derry. 

 Within the peninsula of Inisho\ven I have never seen it, except at Kil- 

 derry. A good many Red Admirals ( Vanessa atalanta) were seen in August 

 and September. In the year 1855, and again in 1865, this butterfly lite- 

 rally swarmed at Kilderry ; but for the most part it is decidedly rare in 

 this district. The Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui) seems to be an insect of 

 a wandering disposition. It is not to be looked for as a frequent visitor 

 at any one spot ; but if one be much upon the move, a good many may 

 be seen in any year. I believe this is its character nearly everywhere. — 

 W. B. Hart, Falmore, Carrowmena, Co. Donegal. 



MOLLUSC A. 



Rare; Moi.i,USCS from Co. S1.IG0. I have to record the occurrence 

 of that very rare shell Montacuta daiosoni, Jeff., in Killala Bay. Mr. Marshall, 

 of Sevenoaks, Torquay, detected a valve in some shell sand that I sent 

 him from this localit3^ Valves were dredged in deep water off Donegal 

 Bay, in the " Porcupine" expedition. Another rare shell, Odostomia niti- 

 dissima, Mont., has been obtained in shell sand from Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. 



Some of the readers of the Irish Naturalist who take an interest in Vcr- 



