THI-: l.KIMUOl'TKKA 0¥ KSSKX. 97 



Melanargia galatea, L. Marbled White. 



Geographical Distribution — Central and South Eurooe (except Spain), Armenia. 

 \'ery local in England, absent from Scotland and Ireland. 



Lartia, — Green or buff (variable), darker stripes on back and sides, faint 

 reddish line along black spiracles ; head pinkish-brown. Food — X'arious grasses, 

 especially cocksfoot. Imago — July ; hibernates as larva. 



Yexy local ; it has disappeared from many of its old localities and 

 is rapidly becoming rare in others ; flight feeble and short. Said to 

 be extinct in Suffolk and Yorkshire. 



" It is most frequent with us round Braintree in Essex ; I first 

 observed it flying this year [1690] in the month of June, about the 

 feast of St. John Baptist, particularly in marshy and wet places " {Ray, 

 H.I. 116). This species is figured twice in Benj. Allen's MS. book. 

 Felstead {Rep. F.S.N. H.S., ii. 44). Mersey Island, Stour and Hart- 

 ley Woods { Jenny n ; V.M. 71). In great plenty, Hartley ^^'ood, St. 

 Osyth {^'J/ac" ; F. xii 430). Three or four on the railway banks near 

 Lexden ; it has disappeared from Hartley Wood, St. Osyth, where it 

 was formerly common {Hanvood ; B.B. 79) One, Colchester, 1859 

 {Hanvood ; E. W.I. vii. 28). One, Hazeleigh, some years since 

 {Ray nor ; T.E.F.C. iii. 38). Common along the coast and on the 

 slopes near Hadleigh Castle {Vaughan ; E.N. iii. 126). I captured 

 one on Hadleigh Castle slopes at our field meeting, July 13th, 1889 

 {Fitch : E.N. iii. 284). I have found it fairly common in Canvey 

 and at South Benfleet and Thundersley, 1872-4. In profusion 

 on Laindon Hills (// Corder, N.H.J. ii. 132.) Epping {E. 

 Doubleday : B.B. 79) Epping, common {S.M. i. 26). High Beach, 

 nearly disappeared from woods east of Epping, 1835 {E. Doubleday ; 

 Enf. Alag. iii. 150). Hog Hill, Hainhault Forest, much scarcer now 

 than formerly, July, 1857 {W. Gates; E.W.I, ii. 71). Used to 

 occur, Hainhault Forest {English ; Proc. E.F.C. iv. xxxiii.). 



Pararge egeria, L. Speckled Wood. 



Geographical Distribution— (l,QX\\.xd\,'Sov^.\\ -i-Viil South-west Europe, X. Africa, 

 Syria. Throughout Britain. 



Larva — Dull green with greenish-yellow stripes, head green. Food — Grasses, 

 especially cocksfoot. Imago — April, Jul)' and August, hibernates as larva ? or 

 pupa? (see Entom. .\ii. 3, 57). On April 23rd, 1873, Mr. Buckler received from 

 Rev. John Hellins three larvae that he had brought through hibernation, having 

 reared them from the eggs, one pupated on Ma}- 2nd and emerged on June 4th 

 (Zrtrz/<r, p. 27) Snellen says " Some examples hibernated as pupcc, others as 

 larvx'." Rev. I. Greene several times met with the pupa in winter wlien pupa- 

 digging. 



