BET. C. M. PEEKINS — BKITISH BUTTEEFLIES. iO 



Tages, the dingy skipper, is a week earlier in appearance than the 

 last, after which it may often be taken on the same ground till the 

 second week in June. It is well named, being a dingy brown, and 

 to my mind is the least interesting of all our butterflies. Steropes 

 Paniscus, the chequered skipper, is of a rich brown colour, 

 chequered over with spots of yellow. This I have never seen on 

 the wing, and believe it has been seldom taken out of the county 

 of Huntingdon and those adjacent to it. It flies in June. Pam- 

 phila Act (eon, the Lulworth skipper, is another insect we need not 

 look for here, for we must visit the coast of Dorset or South 

 Devon if we wish to make its acquaintance in a living state. It 

 flies in August, and from all accounts, the quantity where it, does 

 occur, makes up in some degree for the paucity of localities it 

 inhabits. Pamphila Linea, the small skipper, I have found common 

 at midsummer, wherever I have been. The best place to find it is 

 a marshy spot upon rather high ground, where it frisks about 

 merrily amongst the reeds, yet I have seen it not unfreqiiently 

 in woods far from any marsh or water. Pamphila Si/lvanKS, the 

 large skipper, may be seen here in our lanes and woods in August, 

 but as far as my observation goes, far more rarely than in any 

 other county I have visited in the same month. With my next, 

 Pampliila Comma, the silver-spotted skipper, I reach the end of my 

 list. Though not nearly so widespread as the two last mentioned, 

 yet wherever it does occur, there is generally a goodly company. 

 On heaths in August you should look for it, and if you cannot find 

 it nearer, you should go to Berkharapstead Common in quest of 

 it, as it has been taken there. 1 have not mentioned the colour of 

 the last four, as they are difficult briefly to describe, but they are 

 all of a fulvous colour, marked with brown ; Actteon being the 

 smallest and darkest, and Comma being easily distinguishable by 

 having several square white spots on the underside. 



Thus have I spoken briefly, as I proposed, about each species — 

 far too briefly to describe them at all accurately (fearing to weary 

 you) — for in many cases a long description would be necessary to 

 do this, and that twice over, as the sexes are often extremely 

 diff'ercnt, not in markings merely, but oftentimes in their ground 

 colour also. My great wish has been rather to give young 

 collectors hope of success by indicating the nature of the localities 

 where I myself have found the various species. 



Whether this county has been as well worked as others I know 

 not ; but since my residence here I have never met a person 

 carrying the net of gauze except on our own field days ; save one 

 or two of my own pupils who have lately evinced some love for 

 this science. And it is very remarkable that this county is 

 scarcely mentioned in such works as Stainton's ' Manual ' and 

 Newman's ' History of British Butterflies,' which make such 

 frequent reference to all the contiguous counties. Yet, my own 

 conviction is, that at least 50 out of the 66 species might be found 

 here by any active entomologist. Unfortunately my time in June is 

 too much occupied for taking any long walks, and in July and the 



