96 [April, 1906. 



ACUL-EATE STMENOPTEBA FROM BURGOS, OLD CASTILE, 



COLLECTED DURING- THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, 



AUGUST 30th, 1905. 



BY THE RET. A. E. EATON, M.A. 



WITH A LIST OF THE SPECIES OBTAINED. 

 BY EDWARD SAUNDERS, F.R.S. 



The population of Burgos was augmented on tbe day of the 

 ech'pse by some thousands of visitors, many of whom had travelled 

 all night. Among them, from Bordeaux, arrived a party of the 

 British Astronomical Association, led by Mr. Nield, prepared to 

 photograph and otherwise observe the sun's corona and other matters. 

 They had arranged to erect their instruments upon the Campo de 

 Siliala, about two kilometres southward from the centre of the city, 

 at an altitude (according to an AneroiH Barometer) of about 3000 ft. 

 above the sea, whence an extensive view is obtainable from S.E. to 

 N.W. southerly and westerly. A cordon of mounted troops was to 

 guard them from intrusion of passers by. 



Accordingly, at 9.30 a.m , amidst a concourse of sight-seers, the 

 party having breakfasted and gleaned from shops the rudiments of 

 lunch, set out from the city for their destination — a straggling pro- 

 cession of travel-worn objects, newly washed, headed by a Spaniard 

 bearing a deal packing case of optical apparatus on his shoulder, and 

 closed by an unattached English bug-hunter, net in hand and mat 

 basket on back, with an Oxonian. The plateau was reached about 

 10 a.m., the troops pushing on in advance along the dusty road to 

 establish their cordon. Already numbers of spectators had arrived, 

 and more still kept coming from the town, until the Campo was as 

 crowded as a racecourse. Amid the throng outside the area patrolled, 

 two English ladies, observing with telescopes set up on the borders of 

 the common, were soon almost buried out of sight by dense rings of 

 interested onlookers. 



Entomologically the Campo de Siliala and its outskirts seemed 

 likely to yield more bees and wasps than Lepidopfera or OrtJioptera. 

 The butterflies appeared to be mostly species of wirle range — Fa?iessa 

 antiopa and atalanta and H. comma among them. So hardly anything 

 but bees and wasps went into the killing bottles. The flowers were 

 all autumnal, the bulk of the herbage gone to seed. Ranging over 

 the ground with net and bottle amongst the crowd, for at least a 

 couple of hours, proved rather an ordeal ; for until the critical period 



