286 PHEXOLCGICAL EECOEDS FOR 1890. 



and np to the middle of October ; after that time, however, 

 it improved in a rather remarkable manner, and many 

 species were found in fair average numbers. The regular 

 ivy-frequenting species were thus very late in their appear- 

 ance, and it seems probable that many late summer and 

 autumn insects were so ; at Bournemouth during the last 

 week in August, Safyrus semele were ^jing in beautiful, 

 fresh condition, this being fully three or four weeks after 

 their usual time of emergence from pupa. A stud}^ of irre- 

 gularities such as these, in connection with meteorological 

 and botanical observations during several years, might be 

 of the greatest value in determining the causes which 

 govern the abundance or scarcity of insect life. 



