190 [August, 



a small book. It records about 1450 species, a number unprecedented 

 in any other county, and though in so large a number it is hardly 

 possible but that inaccuracies exist, it is generally reliable and of great 

 value, containing, as it does, not only notes of localities and occasionally 

 of habits of species, but also of the early captures of Mr. John Curtis 

 and the author's father, Mr. J. C. Dale, whose vast collection was the 

 resort and treasury of some of our earlier authors. 



Tor that portion of Dorsetshire known as the Isle of Purbeck a 

 most accurate and reliable list of over 900 species (extending like the 

 last through the Tineidce) by Mr. E. R. Bankes and the Kev. C. R. 

 Digby, is published, with a plate, in the " Proceedings of the Dorset 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club," 1885. It contains 

 notices of the food as well as of the habits and localities of very many 

 of the species, derived from the personal experience of the authors. 

 Its value is enhanced by a Supplement of 156 species by the same 

 authors, published through the same medium in 1889, and with it a 

 fine plate of some of the more remarkable species. 



Devon also has received a fair amount of attention. In 1864 

 (and doubtless in previous years) a " Catalogue of the Lepidoptera 

 of Devon and Cornwall," from the pen of Mr. J. J. Reading, was 

 published in the " Transactions of the Plymouth Institution." The 

 only portion in my possession is that of the " Noctuina^'' amounting 

 to 214 species, and furnishing much information as to localities. From 

 the introduction it appears that the Rhopalocera, and also the Sphingina 

 and Bomhycina, had previously been catalogued ; but I find no indica- 

 tion of any list of the Geometrina or following groups. 



In 1878 a far more complete and elaborate list, comprising 1100 

 species, with abundance of useful observations, forming a good sized 

 volume, compiled by Mr. E. Parfitt, was published in the " Transactions 

 of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science." The 

 author even extends his remarks to fossil insects, though, so far as 

 Devon is concerned, these are not Lepidopterous. 



I have further been obliged by Mr. J. Basden Smith, of Plymouth, 

 with a marked list of about 350 species of Macro-Lepidoptera found 

 in that district ; and by the late Major John Still, with the results of 

 his researches on Dartmoor and on the south coast of the county. 



For Cornwall and the Scilly Isles a list of nearly 800 species, 

 including the Tineidce^ was published in 1893 — 4 in the " Transactions 

 of the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society." It con- 

 tains information of interest about many of the species, and appears 

 to be generally accurate, though there are some species included which 

 seem to require confirmation. 



