NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 257 



in this locality. Vanessa io, very rarely taken or to be seen, V. 

 atalanta^ rare, but commoner than the preceding. V. cardui, when common 

 throughout the county generally fairly abundant here, but rare at other 

 times. Satyrus egeria, megcera, and titlwnus, all rare, the last excep- 

 tionally so ; indeed, I have never heard of its capture in the neigh- 

 bourhood, but of course may be mistaken. S. hypemnt/ms, local and 

 uncoiumon. Polyoinmatus phlceas, odd ones only to be seen at long 

 intervals. Hesperia sy/vanus, rare, except in one locality. 



Having briefly enumerated a few of the Rhopalocera, 1 will now 

 endeavour to do similarly with the moths, only, however, picking out 

 the most noticeable in their rarity compared with their usual abundance 

 elsewhere. Euchelia jacobcece, very rare. Chelonia caja, scarce and 

 uncommon ; I have never seen an imago alive around here, and only 

 find about three larvae a year on the average, and sometimes none. 

 Ardia fuligiiwsa and mendtca, exceedingly rare now ; formerly much 

 commoner. Liparls auriflua, this species is very common outside 

 Sheffield in some places, but within four miles is never to be seen or 

 taken. Orgyia aiitiqiia, occasionally taken. Bombyx neustria, exces- 

 sively scarce ; it is said to occur at Sheffield upon the authority of Mr. 

 Arthur Doncaster in Mr. Porritt's Lepidoptera of Yorkshit-e ; but so far 

 as I can gather from other collectors they have never seen it in this 

 neighbourhood. Dicranura vinuia, by no means common. Pygcera 

 bucephala, imago scarcely ever seen, and the larvae very rarely. Diloba 

 cczruleocephala, never seen within four miles of here ; rather common 

 further out. Bryophila perla^ rare. Leucania conigera and impiira, not 

 common. Hydrcecia nlctitans and micacea, rarely to be seen or taken. 

 Xylophasia Hihoxylea, not common. X. hcpatica, rare. Apamea ba- 

 silifiea, not very common. Miana sirigiiis, the type never seen or 

 taken ; the variety cethiops very abundant, and var. prcBduncula not 

 rare. M. fasciuncula, llterosa, and furuncida^ all more or less rare, 

 especially the last mentioned. Graiinnesia triiinea, excessively scarce ; 

 I have never seen a specimen here yet. Iriphcena orbona, not at all 

 common. Anchochelis pistacina, has never been taken or seen to my know- 

 ledge. Agriopis apriiina, Phlogophora inetia/losa, and Eiiplexia luci- 

 para, all rare and of uncommon occurrence. Hadena chenopodii, adusfa, 

 protea, and/zV/, all rarely seen or taken. Plusia chrysitis, not common. 

 Urapteryx sambucata, rare. Selenia iUiinaria, very scarce. Buarmia 

 rhoinboidaria, was common all over a few years ago, but hardly ever to 

 be seen now. Acidalia scutulata, bisetaia, incanaria, and az'ersaia, all very 

 rare except the last, which, however, is but rarely taken. Abraxas grossu- 

 lariata, hardly ever to be found in any stage. How is it ? Hybertiia 

 leucophcearia, rare. Caniptogramma biiineata, very rarely taken or seen. 

 Eubolia cervhtaria, very rare, even when the foodplant is abundant. E. 

 palumbaria, not at all common. T. chcsrophyllaia, scarce, except in one 

 locality ; the foodplant occurs commonly in several places, but the 

 insect only in one. 



I have now given a short list of those species which appear to be 

 the most noticeable, and sufficient, I think, to convince the reader that, 

 for no apparent reason, many insects, common in one locality, and 

 generally so everywhere, i^ay yet be entirely wanting in another one, 

 although no striking dissimilarity between the two exists, so far as out- 

 ward appearance, situation and vegetation are concerned. 



