i^^ AND ^"^^ 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION 



Vol. IX. No. 3. March 15th, 1897. 



Notes of a few days' collecting at Wallasey (Liverpool), and in the 

 Valley of the Dee above Llangollen. 



By PEOFESSOR T. HUDSON BEAEE, B.Sc, F.R.S.E., F.E.S., and 

 HORACE DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.3. 



Having made up our minds to secure specimens of Cicindela 

 hijhrida, and to try our luck on the Welsh hills, we left London by the 

 5.30 p.m., for Liverpool, on Thursday, May 14th, 1896. 



Friday morning broke dark and gloomy, with heavy rain, not an 

 inspiriting outlook when the object in view was such a sun lover as a 

 tiger beetle ; however, by the time breakfast was over the weather broke, 

 and prospects seemed somewhat fairer. A short journey by train, 

 during which we dived under the Mersey to gain the Cheshire side, 

 soon landed us on the sand-hills. Adopting the hints received, we 

 made for the shore, and then struck along it till the spot was reached 

 where the insect is usually taken. By this time the sun was out hot 

 and strong, making the heavy going somewhat fatiguing. Leaving 

 the shore, we plunged again into the sand-hills, which are fairly 

 high and decidedly steep, more especially as each foot up means a 

 slide back of about the same amount, and one's boots were soon filled 

 in all their spare crevices with fine sand. For some time careful 

 stalking up one side and down the other Avas all in vain, and hope 

 began to sink, when a loud shout from one of the twain announced the 

 capture of the first specimen. This proved we were on the right spot, 

 and the capture of a series for each was now but a matter of time and 

 labour. 



Labour indeed it Avas ; up rises a specimen at your feet, too quick 

 for any attempt to strike with the net, and makes a bee-line for the next 

 sand-hill. A wild charge doAvn the one and up the other may secure for 

 you the insect, or it may only enable you to arrive in time to see it 

 make another bee-line for a still further spot, or, perhaps, back to 

 where you first started it. However, hard Avork and patience at length 

 secured the desired result, and having obtained our series of this 

 extremely agile and beautiful beetle, Ave rest for a feAV minutes to cool 

 doAvn and get rid of some of the sand which fills boots and clothes 

 generally. 



As we were bound to be in Chester that afternoon, in order to 

 carry out our programme, Ave had no time to look for anything else on 

 the sand-hills, and only picked up a few casual specimens here and 



