NOTES ON COLLECTING IN 19H. 1 09 



which species I took a very nicely marked example at rest on a larch 

 trunk on the 24th. I have previously recorded Jallo/ihri/s nibi as 

 swarming in a small valley near Abertillery in April, 1912. They 

 were not so abundant in 1913, but occurred in even greater numbers 

 this year. Amongst others 1 took a very perfect example, iiaving the 

 underside of the wings of a deep bronze colour in place of the usual 

 bright green. Examples with bleached patches on one or more wings 

 were not uncommon. The Pierids were about in fair numbers, Pieris 

 uapi as usual by far the most common of the three species, i'oeno- 

 )i!/iiifi/ia /laiii/ihiliiswsis common enough, in company witii odd examples 

 of liiiiiiicia }ihlaeaH and l'<)l!/n)ii)iiatus icanta. 



I spent several days in May collecting in the neighbourhood of 

 Port-llan-fraith, principally after Hemoris titj/ns {boiiihi/lifinini.s), of 

 which species I took an odd example in 1907. I was fortunate enough 

 to find this interesting insect fairly common in one marshy field at 

 Port-llan-fraith on the 17th, eight or nine examples were seen and 

 five were taken as they fed at bugle and other low growing flowers. The 

 easiest way to take this species is to place one's net Hat on top of them, 

 it is quite useless striking sideways. This moth does not appear to be 

 on the wing for any length of time. I visited this locality again a 

 week later, but not a single specimen was to be seen, but that may 

 have been on account of the weather, which was dull and cold, as titi/ns 

 will only fly high in bright sunshine. Melitaea aininia, which used to 

 occur in this field in abundance, has now almost entirely disappeared, 

 a dozen examples were seen in 1913 and only one this year. I cannot 

 account for the disappearance of this butterfly, as the ground is 

 untouched from year to year, and as far as I know the locality is quite 

 unknown to any other collector. In a small wood adjoining this field 

 I took a fine series of Tfjilinma punctularia at rest on birch and alder 

 trunks, together with several nice forms of Hiidrioiiiena iiiijdnriata and 

 iMiniiVDpterijj- sujfniiiata. Beating bushes and rough herbage gave 

 several Lnmasjiilis inan/inata of varied forms, Enchoeca obliterata, 

 ■Coreiiiia denifpiata and C. fernn/ata, Cabera pui^aria, ar.d other common 

 Geometers. One or two Orucodes he.radfirti/la were beaten out of honey- 

 suckle. A few Brcnt/tis ciiphroxt/ue were noticed on the 17th and 24th, 

 but they were too worn to be worth taking. The males of Satiirnia 

 pavnnia and Macrothi/lacia riibi were fairly common in large open 

 spaces, the former at the beginning and the latter at the end of the 

 month. (Ji'Ltstrina arriioliis has been more plentiful here this year than 

 usual, several were taken flying round the hollies on the 17th, one or 

 two were fairly fresh but the others were decidedly pasiic. This is not 

 a common species here as a rule. A few lladena ijlauca and I'haretia 

 (Ariniiicta) iiu'iu/antliidis were found at rest on stone walls during the 

 first fortnight in May. I'harctra {Acroiiicla) nniiicis was not uncom- 

 monly at rest on tree trunks and walls; a nice var. salicis was taken on 

 May 24th. 



On ]\Iay 31st I went down to Bickley, Kent, for a few days. Col- 

 lecting at Bickley is almost entirely confined to searching the fences 

 and going round the lamps at night. Searching the fences was rather 

 productive. Hi'pialns Inpnliniin was very abundant, a beautifully 

 marked example having the ground colour silvery white was taken on 

 June 1st. hlitpithecia vid(iata was another very common species, 

 dozens were seen in the course of a week. Amongst other species 



