1S66.] . Ql 



during April and May, the males being very conspicuous as they sit on the bare 

 sticks of last year's willows, or on tufts of grass. The larva feeds principally on 

 sallow (very rarely on yarrow, if it can get anything else) during June and July, and 

 is also very conspicuous. H. sangulnalis is confined to those portions of the sand- 

 hills where tliyme grows — just beyond Wallasey Tillage, near the small plantations, 

 is a good place for it, and it flies about 6 p.m. during fine days in June. P.permutana 

 occurs in August among Rosa spinosissima, and the best place for it is among the 

 tangled grass and rose growing about a mile N.W. of where the sandhills are entered 

 '• from Wallasey Tillage. It flies during the early evening, but maybe smoked out in 

 the day time. During September, the larvae of several of the Eupithecice may be 

 found on the flowers of the ragwort, notably those of E. centaureata, E. virgaureata, 

 and E. ahsynthiata, while on the ragwort growing in the gardens on the edges of the 

 sandhills may be found the larva of E. succentaureata, and that of E. linariata in 

 the unripe fruit of toad-flax growing in similar places. Many rare species of Tineina, 

 of which, however, I know little, occur on these sandhills, especially members of the 

 genus Gelechia. 



Turning to the Coleoptera, we notice a great similarity to those mentioned as 

 occurring on the opposite side of the river, but there are species here which do not 

 occur there, and vice versa. Elaphrus cupreus and riparius are common on the 

 edges of the " flashes " of water in the hollows between some of the sandhills ; 

 J^otiophilus aquaticus, and, occasionally, suhstriatus, may be found in similar locali- 

 ties, together with Anchonienus marginatus. DyscJiirhts globosns is sometimes 

 abundant in damp hollows, and Apliodius plagiatus has a habit of frequenting like 

 situations, completely burying itself in the sand. Some of the deeper collections of 

 water swarm with the commoner Dytiscida, but among these may occasionally be 

 found Dytixcics punclulalus. Coccinella mutahilis is often abundant in the late 

 summer months, crawling everywhere, while Aphodli revel in the dung of the New 

 Brighton donkeys. Out of the thirty-nine species of Aphodius recognised as 

 British, I have taken at least twenty-two species in this locality. Agelastica halen- 

 sis is sometimes abundant in autumn, seeming to have a partiality for the yellow 

 bedstraw. Grgpidius equiseti is frequently found crawling on the bare sandhills, 

 Hypera nigrirostris is usually abundant ; Orchestes salicis and Rhamphus jlavicornis 

 are abundant during the summer, and may be taken in the sweeping-net ; while 

 several species of the genus Apion seem to be always abundant. These sandhills, 

 too, are the haunt, among bees, of Colletes cunicularia, found, I believe, nowhere 

 else. 



Bidston Hill may be reached most easily from Birkenliead. 

 Arrived at Birkeuliead Ferry take the "Docks Station" tram-car, ask 

 the conductor to set you down at the nearest place for Bidston Hill, 

 from which you have a quarter of an hour's walk before reaching your 

 destination. The conductor will point out the road. 



Here, among the heather and gorse, the Lepidopterist will meet with, in July, 

 Lyceena A^^gon in abundance, but local, the best place for it being among the gorse 

 between the windmill and observatory, but nearer the eastern (or Birkenhead) side 

 of the hill. In August, Satyrus Semele is abundant near the old mill, while early in 



