58 [March, 



Duels to the death between parasite and lioist have been rceorded 

 in the ease of Psi/Z/j/nis and Bunibus. But, as a rule, parasitic bees 

 do not seem to employ open violence towards their victims, nor do the 

 latter show any pronounced hostility to the parasites. They seem, if 

 not friendly, at least indifferent to their presence. I must confess 

 that I have never myself seen anything like the assaults and battles 

 described by M. Ferton, and I should have thought that in such a 

 contest between a Hnlicfus and a Sphecodes the odds were rather in 

 favour of the Halictus, whereas it seems that in all M. Kerton's observa- 

 tions, whenever there was a fight to a finish, the Halictus was killed 

 by the Sphecodes. 8til] I do not venture nor desire to dispute M. 

 Ferton's statements, though I must own that I feel a certain reluc- 

 tance to believe that the phenomena he describes can be normal — 

 they are so completely at variance with the impressions T have derived 

 from my own observation of the habits of the two genera in this 

 country and elsewhere. 



Brunswick, Woking : 



November Ith, 1900. 



NOTES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 

 PART I. RHOPALOCERA. 



15 T II EE BEET G O S S, F. L. S. 



With the exception of the Macro-Lepidoptera and a few species 

 of Micro-ZiepidoTptera, Goleoiptera, and Hipnenoptera., the insects of 

 Northamptonshire appear to be entirely unknown. Probably, tlie 

 chief reason for the comparative neglect of this County by Entomolo- 

 gists is that its natural conditions are far less varied than those of 

 some other Midland Counties, and many of the Southern , Eastern, 

 Western, and Northern Counties. An Inland County without any 

 important ranges of hills or mountains, and no extensive tracts of 

 moor or fen-land would not be expected to produce a great variety of 

 species. Apart from the still remaining fragments of the ancient 

 forests of Salcey, Whittlebury, and Rockingham, and its other 

 numerous and extensive woods, amounting, in the whole, to over 

 28,000 acres, Northamptonshire consists mainly of arable and pasture 

 land, — chiefly the latter, which absorbs about three-fifths of the entire 

 acreage of the County. 



Between sixty and thirty-five years ago Northamptonshire was 

 well worked for the Macro-Lepidoptera by Archdeacon Bree, The 

 Eevd. Hamlet Clark, The Vn^sA. W. VV'hall, Mr. Sturgess, and the late 



