198 THE entomologist's record. 



Day work amongst the butterflies was confined chiefly to Abbot's 

 Wood. A fair number of species were on the wing at the beginning of 

 my visit, including Nisoniades tages, Hesperia malvae, Callophri/s rubi, 

 Celastrina argiolus, Brenthis euphrosyne and the three common Pierids. 

 I worked H. malvae closely for specimens of ab. taras, but I took only 

 one on May 24th, on which date I also took a specimen closely 

 approaching this aberration. Brenthis euphrosyne was very common 

 and one nice $ aberration, with the forewings heavily suffused with 

 black, was taken on May 24th. By this date B. euphrosyne had given 

 place to B. selene, which was now extremely common. I worked this 

 species very closely for aberrations, but failed to obtain anything that 

 was much removed from the type. I found that the best method of work- 

 ing this species was after it had taken up its resting position. During 

 the day B. selene ranged over the whole of the wood, bvit in its resting- 

 habits it was extremely gregarious, and numbers could then be found 

 in a very restricted area. Here and there amongst the dense growth 

 of bracken were little open patches, covered chiefly with coarse grasses, 

 juncus and sorrel, and it was in such places that B. selene was found at 

 rest. It seemed to be especially fond of resting on the flowering 

 heads of sorrel, and, when the insect has adopted its resting attitude, 

 only the underside of the hindwings and the tips of the forewings are 

 visible, and in this position it harmonises exceedingly well with the 

 flowering heads of the sorrel. It rests always with the head down- 

 wards. Other favourite perches are the flowering heads of grasses, 

 juncus and- thistle ; occasionally it may be found on a bracken frond, 

 and frequently on the dead heads of knapweed. Indeed, I have found 

 as many as five specimens clustered on one small head of knapweed. 

 Considering the brilliant appearance of B. selene when in flight, 

 skimming the bracken in the bright sunshine, the butterfly is 

 wonderfnlly inconspicuous when it has taken up its resting attitude. 

 Towards dusk the insect is not easily disturbed, and I found it then 

 did not occupy much time to go through a good number of specimens, 

 picking up each insect between the finger and thumb, and thus 

 affording an easy method of carefully examining each individual. 

 Other butterflies seen at Abbot's Wood were Euchloe cardaiuines, 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, Polyommatus icarus, Aricia astrarche, ( 'oenonynipha 

 pamphilus, and Auyiades sylvanus, both sexes of the last named appear- 

 ing on June 8th. Ruviicia phlaeas was noted on the railway banks 

 near Polegate. 



On the downs near Beachy Head, Polyommatus icarus was common. 

 The 2 s were generally more or less suffused with blue, though none 

 was strikingly so, whilst ab. icarinus was fairly common. Agriades 

 thetis, first seen on May 27th (wrongly given as May 22nd in the July 

 number of the Entomologist's Record), was well out on June 3rd, 

 though it was not nearly so plentiful as I had anticipated it would be. 

 A single 2 Pararge megaera was taken on June 4th in the marshes 

 near Hampden Park. 



Beating for Geometers at Abbot's Wood produced a good number 

 of common species. Amongst the bracken Panagra petraria was 

 exceedingly common, rising in numbers at every step one took; whilst 

 Melanippe montanata was almost equally abundant amongst the shrubs 

 and undergrowth. Although not a single specimen of Tanagra atrata 

 was observed when I was at Abbot's Wood, on June 3rd, it was 



