AT MICKLEHAM. 279 



of appearance. I have captured upwards of five hundred spe- 

 cimens in two successive years ; and it is surprising that an 

 insect so common, and to be found in so many habitats near 

 London, should have been so rare, a few years back, as to be 

 estimated to be worth a guinea a pair : I apprehend they are 

 now at a discount, for I cannot get rid of my duplicates. 

 Tarns macidaris appears to be a mere variety of the T. angu- 

 laris: the result of a comparison by entomologists of nearly 

 one hundred specimens, captured in two successive autumns, 

 seems to strengthen this opinion. It is plentiful in October, 

 under flints, on the southern slope of Box-hill, opposite the 

 town of Dorking. Every year's experience seems to confirm 

 the opinion of Mr. Stephens, so often mentioned in his 

 invaluable Illustrations, that insects which are stated to be rare 

 or local are generally very plentiful in some of their localities : 

 for example ; I well recollect the difficulty I had, and the days 

 which I lost in Norbury-park, in procuring a single pair of the 

 Lithosia helvola, and the pleasure I felt when I at last suc- 

 ceeded ; when, to my utter astonishment, about two miles from 

 the same place, upon the west side of Box-hill, during twilight, 

 I found this very rare insect in the greatest profusion. On 

 the wing it performs its graceful undulations about the tops 

 of yew-trees, particularly in warm, still evenings : this is a 

 nearer habitat than the New Forest. Perhaps some persons 

 will be surprised at my having described, as nearly as possible, 

 the localities of the preceding insects, as well as those 

 captured on yew-trees, (Vol. II. page 207.) I have not 

 followed the system, so much in vogue, of disguising or of 

 giving such vague and indefinite descriptions, as to render it 

 impossible for any one to find them ; on the contrary, I have 

 copied from the botanist, and imitated the example of some 

 entomologists, particularly Mr. Newman, in describing or 

 directing the foot-step of every lover of nature to the locality 

 of that beautiful insect, the Chrysomela cerealis, in the first 

 number of the Magazine. I am quite aware of the difficulty, 

 or utter impossibility, of accurately describing the habitats of 

 some insects, on account of their extreme locality ; but this 

 does not excuse the] attempt to misguide, or justify an entire 

 suppression of the information. We have proof enough that 

 the pages of the Magazine are impartially open to every 

 humble labourer in the field of science ; and is not the industry 



