1865] 161 



The first of the beauties, respecting whom I havo a few obaorvations to mako, 

 is Cynthia Ca/rd^d; the following is the mannei- in which she forced herself upon 

 my notice. 



At the western extremity of Ilfracombo stands a parish church, passing behind 

 which you enter a narrow lane, " a Devonshire lane ; " its beauty will be appre- 

 ciated by every one who has visited Devon, and ho will thoroughly understand the 

 moaning of tho above appellation ; he will know how it winds, and turns, and winds 

 again ; just so does the lane at the back of the church, until you arrive at a gate at 

 its extremity that opens to the breezy downs. 



The last fifty yards of the hedge, on the right hand of the lane, is covered by a 

 mantle of ivy, which, on the 9th of October, was in full blossom ; but tho flowers 

 were almost hidden from sight by a countless multitude of butterflies and moths ; 

 it was one of the most beautiful sights I ever behold. The multitudinous host only 

 comprised two species of butterfly, Vanessa Atalanta and Cynthia Cardui ; scores 

 of the former, but hundreds of the latter. The majority of them appeared to be 

 so overpowered by imbibing the nectar of the ivy blossoms, that I had no difficulty 

 in taking specimens of Cynthia between my fingers ; I secured a single example, 

 which appeared to me to be richer in colour than any I had ever previously soon. 

 I also found Cynthia very numerous at Lynmouth, and observed great numbers 

 assembled on the Michaelmas Daisy, at Coomb Martin. 



I had not the good fortune to see the second beauty myself, but the following 

 is the description and account of her, given to me by my wife. 



" I had reached tho top of the lane, where the ivy overhangs the hedge that 

 faces tho south-west, and there I stopped to admiro the beauty of the mixed 

 assemblage of butterflies, moths, and other insects ; there were thousands of thom. 

 My attention was suddenly attracted by the appearance of a butterfly I had never 

 seen before ; it was larger than either the Admiral or Painted Lady. In certain 

 positions it appeared to be black, or nearly so ; in other lights it had a reddish rich 

 brown tint, and its wings had a broadish border of white, within which I think 

 there was a row of blue spots ; what could it be ? " There could be no doubt as 

 to what it was ; but, I enquired, " if it was a fly you had never seen before, why did 

 you not try and catch it?" "Well," my wife replied, "I could have done so, and in fact 

 I did touch it, but I was afraid of injuring it ; so I let it go ! " It was something, I 

 thought, to havo had the pleasure of touching "The Camberwell Beauty." — 

 Frederick Smith, Ilfracombe, October 9th, 1865. 



Chcerocampa Celerio at Exeter. — Mr. John Rowden, of this town, has just 

 brought me a specimen of this hawk-moth to set out ; it is, apparently, fresh from 

 the pupa. Ho found it at rest on a window-sill about three o'clock in tho afternoon. 

 —John Hellins, Exeter, Octoler 19th. 



Chwrocanypa celerio nea/r Hendon. — I have much pleasure in reporting the 

 capture of ChoBrocampa celerio, in good condition, on the 26th of September last. 

 I took it as it was hovering over a bed of Petunias, at about seven o'clock in tho 

 evening. — H. Druce, Holcombe House, Mill Hill, near Hendon, Novemler, 1865. 



Charocampa celerio in Syfollc— On going over to Oxford in SuSblk the other 

 day, I was shown a specimen of C. celerio, which had been taken there this autumn, 

 and is now in the collection of the rector, the Rev. J. Maynard. — E. N. Bloomfield 

 November 7th. 



