OBSEEYED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1893. 77 



The early summer months of last year were marked by an 

 abundance of butterHy life. Mr. J. J. Willis, of Harpenden, 

 writes: "The large white cabbage-butterfly [Pier is brassicd) and 

 the small white cabbage-butterfly [Pier is rapa) were exceedingly 

 numerous throughout the season, although in this neighbourhood 

 the damage done by their caterpillars appeared to be much less 

 than usual. This was also the fact with regard to the magpie- 

 moth {Abraxas grossidariata), which, although most abundant, pro- 

 duced fewer larvoe than in some former years. "Was this due to 

 their desti'uction by birds?" On the other hand, Mr. Pilbrow, of 

 Colney Heath, points out that with regard to the Vanessida3, a 

 diametrically opposite state of things occui'red. "Almost every 

 bunch of nettles, " he says, " contained larvJB of Vanessa io, 

 V. afahnita, or V. urtic(e, yet only the second of the trio was at 

 all common in the perfect state." 



Among the butterflies there are some very early appearances to 

 record. The pretty little grizzled skipper {Si/richthiis mahce) was 

 taken by me on the Harpenden Road, St. Albans, near the Rifle 

 Butts, on April 9th, or about a nionth before it usually appears. It 

 is a very bold and familiar insect. It likes to bask on the sunny 

 road, and when disturbed returns to the same spot time after 

 time, like some of the Vanessidae. Having no net with me I tried 

 to capture this one with my hat, which I succeeded in placing 

 over it four or five times before I could fairly bag my game. 

 Another rather early record is Mr. Dymond's note of the capture 

 of the pearl-bordered fritillary {Argynnis euphrosyne) on April 26th. 



It will be remembered that one of the great entomological 

 features of the year 1892 was the remarkable abundance of the 

 beautiful clouded-yellow butterfly ( Colias edusa). I referred to 

 this at some length in my last annual report. I have only one 

 record of its re-appearance in Hertfordshire in 1893, and that is 

 by Mr. J. J. AYillis, who says that a few specimens were seen at 

 Hai-penden. Mr. N. Heaton, of Sans Souci, Watford, records the 

 capture of one specimen of this insect on August 29th, 1889. Mr. 

 Heaton says : "I should be glad of an explanation of the state- 

 ment, found in all the text-books I have seen, that C. edusa haunts 

 clover-fields. I was at Deal in 1892, when this species was 

 abundant, and never caught a single specimen in a clover-field, but 

 found them in plenty around such plants as dandelion, ragwort, or 

 whatever yellow flowers were then out ; situations where I should 

 have expected to find it had it not been for the statement in the 

 text-books. C. hyale I noticed was partial to corn-fields." That 

 C. edusa does haunt clover-fields is a fact to which most entomolo- 

 gists can testify, but I have noticed that it is very partial to 

 railway-banks and waste ground. It must not be forgotten that 

 the laiwa is a clover-feeder. 



The orange-tip butterfly appeared to be more plentiful than 

 usual, a fact which was also noticed by Mr. Willis. Messrs, 

 Latchmore and Gatward, of Hitchin, who have sent mc a joint 

 report, speak of it as coming out unusually early and flying in 



