igi8. Greer. — Lepidoptera from East Tyrone. 5 



the females were almost as common, about 60 per cent, 

 having yellowish hind wings. 



On paying a visit to the mountains in early June for 

 larvae of Dasychira fascelina I found that many acres of 

 heather were brown and dead having been killed by the 

 severe frosts, and it was only in sheltered spots that it 

 still survived ; but there was no trace of my quarry ; 

 although the larvae of Lasiocampa quercus var. callunae 

 were in abundance and collected in little groups, here and 

 there, wherever the heather showed any signs of life. 



The first Melitaea aurinia was observed on the wing on 

 June nth, somewhat later than last year, but from a nest 

 of the larvae found earlier in the year, were bred a number 

 of interesting forms ; among others : — the var. praeclara, 

 Kane ; a tawny red form not unlike the English var. 

 artemis ; a form approaching the var. signifera, Kane ; and 

 several of the handsome form virgata, Tutt ; and last but 

 not least, a number of fine dark forms, quite distinct from 

 the form figured as scotica in Kane's " Lepidoptera of 

 Ireland." 



When on a visit to Dublin, I spent some time in Mr. 

 Halbert's company, in comparing these forms with various 

 types in the national collection ; and we found that a 

 number of these forms agree with certain specimens labelled 

 as hihernica frorh Cromyln Bog, Co. Westmeath ; but as 

 there appears to be a great deal of misapprehension as to 

 what is the true var. hihernica Birchall, I am at present, 

 at any rate, unwilling to state anything more definite 

 concerning these local forms. 



Towards the middle of the month a visit was paid to 

 the bogs which lie around Lough Neagh and from small 

 birch bushes a fine lot of Drepana falcataria were beaten 

 out, and on the way home, cocoons of Odonestis potatoria 

 were found spun up among the grass and heather. 



At Washing Bay on 29th June, the males of Lycaena 

 icarus were flying in some abundance, being of a large size 

 and in fine condition ; and likewise a few days later, on 

 the low sandy hills which surround the town of Coalisland ; 

 I was lucky to get here on the 4th of July a gynandro- 

 morphous specimen, in perfect condition, this was captured 



