128 [November, 



wider distribution than it does at the present day, for we have records of its having 

 occurred in Coventry, Bromsgrove, and many other places, but the only locality for 

 it now in the neighbourhood of Birmingham is Sutton Park. 



This famous pleasure resort for the Birmingham public seems to have been a 

 much finer hunting ground for the entomologist than it is at the present day, in 

 fact, only a few years ago there were many butterflies which were found in tolerable 

 plentifulness, but which are now seldom seen there. The most noticeable are, perhaps, 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, Vanessa lo, Pararge Megara, and Epinephele Janira. The two 

 latter I believe are almost extinct. I have only taken a single specimen of E. Janira 

 within recent years, and that one I captured in the marshes near Blackroot Pool, in 

 1883. Its singular absence in the neighbourhood of Sutton Coldfield is worthy of 

 remark, being a very common butterfly in most districts throughout the Midlands. 

 The beautiful Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) also used to be very plentiful in 

 Sutton Park about ten years ago, but it is now comparatively scarce. This may be 

 attributed to two causes : 1, to the extensive fires which have recently raged in parts 

 of the Common where the insect was most plentiful ; 2, to the greediness of collectors 

 and rapacious picture dealers who take every specimen tliey come across. 



On the other hand we have very few insects becoming abundant to compensate 

 us for this " falling off," still, there are some species which are apparently becoming 

 more plentiful and widening their area of distribution. The most important are, 

 perhaps, Colias Edusa and C. HyaJe. Not many years ago both these insects were 

 looked upon as great rarities. They are now, however, probably to be met with 

 8 ^mewhere in the district every season. In 1877 they both occurred throughout the 

 Midlands in great abundance. I think their increase may be attributed to the same 

 influence which is acting the reverse with such a number of other species, namely, 

 cultivation — tlie extended cultivation of various tracts of clover by agriculturists, 

 this plant constituting the pabulum of both species. In this country C. Edusa occurs 

 more commonly than C. Hyale, the reverse being the case on the continent. 



The great Death's Head Moth (Aclierontia AtroposJ is another insect which is 

 becoming more plentiful with us and increasing its area of distribution. Then there 

 is the Alder Moth (Acronycta alnij which formerly was regarded as a rarity of the 

 first magnitude, but which has now become of sufiicient plenty for almost every 

 collector to be in possession of one or more in his cabinet. 



The fact of many rare SphingidcB having of late years been taken in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of Birmingham, such as Deilephila lineata, Chwrocampa 

 celerio, C. nerii, and other austral forms may be referred to their being introduced 

 at various times with foreign greenhouse plants. 



The remarkable fluctuations in the appearance of many insects would afford a 

 fertile topic in itself. During a certain year a particular insect suddenly becomes 

 abundant, though for several years previously it may have been very rare and only 

 occasionally seen. In 1884 the Red Admiral (Vanessa AtalantaJ occurred throughout 

 the district in the utmost profusion, though for several years previously it had been 

 comparatively scarce. In the same year, too, our gardens were visited by an innume- 

 rable horde of the Large Whites (Pieris brassicmj, though for several years it had 

 been very scarce. Other Lepidoptera which I have noticed to greatly fluctuate in 

 their appearance are Vanessa cardiii, Porthesia similis, and Plusia gamma, all of 

 which occurred in unusual abundance in the neiglibourhood of Birmingham in the 

 autumn of 1879. 



