76 



23rd it was sufficiently warm and sunny to bring the I'urthesia 

 chnjsorrhcca larvae, which were very abundant on some blackthorn 

 bushes on the Downs, out of their nests in search of food. 



" Having a few fine warm days at the end of the mouth white 

 butterflies began to get common, and on the 30th Pieris rajxF and 

 P. napi, also C. avf/iolnx, were all flying in the garden in some num- 

 bers, the last named being quite abundant, and this species con- 

 tinued on the wing until May 21st, while the ' Whites ' were flying 

 on fine days right up to July 2nd, when the last was seen, the later 

 brood does not appear to have yet started with us. I'ortri.v pionii- 

 hana was flying in the garden on May 28th, and I have no doubt 

 also on other sunny mornings about that date, when I was not there 

 to see it. On the same day PoUjommatus icariis favoured us also. 



" During June we found that XanthorJio'e [Melanippe) jitictiiata 

 was just as frequent in our garden here as in the London gardens, 

 but, so far as we were able to observe, less prone to variation. Odd 

 specimens of Dicrmiura vinula, Acronicta aceris, Maiiiestra brassic<r, 

 P^iipithecia viilt/ata, Hepialus luj)uliniis, and such like species were 

 met with. It was also reported to me that early in the month a 

 single specimen of Colias ediisa had been seen on the Downs near 

 Shoreham, Sussex. On July 2nd I watched a specimen of AcjlaU 

 iiitica: feeding at the Valerian blossom on the parade for several 

 minutes, its colour was dull, suggesting that it was not freshly 

 emerged, but in other respects it appeared to be perfect. And on 

 the 9th a Sesia {Macrotflossa) sitellatarum spent some time around a 

 large plant of Anchum in the garden, apparently well satisfied with 

 such nectar as he was able to extract from its blossoms. These two 

 insects can hardly have been the progeny of the April specimen?, 

 but if not whence came they ? 



" It's raining and blowing hard and horribly cold as I write, so I 

 can't say much for the season." 



Mr. Curwen had spent some days in the New Forest recently, and 

 subsequently also in Ashdown Forest. He found that imagines were 

 generally scarce, while larvje were plentiful. From June 15th to 

 24th he was taking Breutlns nelene in the New Forest in good condi- 

 tion. On June 27th, at Tilgate, the species was worn to rags, while 

 on June 29th, at Ashdown, it was quite fresh. Cleora jnhata {ijlab- 

 raria) and Alencis jiictaria were in some numbers in the larval stage 

 in the New Forest. 



Mr. Hare had found things generally up to date in various 

 localities. 



