1882.1 257 



Laguna is some 2000 feet above Santa Cruz, from which it is 

 distant about seven miles, so it was uphill work, and, as I did not feel 

 inclined to go the whole way, I stopped, after walking about four miles, 

 and rested, and admired the beautiful view, and then returned to the 

 town. As I did not expect at this time of the year to see any insects 

 about, I took no net with me, so, in consequence, noticed many large 

 dragon-flies, two or three Macroglossa stellatarum, and a number of 

 Pieris Daplidice, and also picked up an uninteresting-looking Noctua 

 larva, much resembling that of Agrotis eocclamationis* crawling on the 

 dusty road. The next morning I landed with one of my brother 

 officers for a drive to Laguna, and upon reaching the mole, we found 

 a carriage which we had previously ordered waiting for us. It was a 

 queer-looking conveyance, of ancient date, and had three horses 

 attached to it abreast. The day was simply perfect : cloud and sun- 

 shine, the latter preponderating, with a deliciously balmy breeze. 

 The road between the two towns was a capital one, and our three little 

 horses took us along merrily, although it was uphill the whole way. 

 "We reached Laguna about half-past one, and found it a dreary, dirty- 

 looking town, with much grass growing in the wretchedly-paved streets. 

 After driving about in the town for a short time, we went right through 

 and found the country beyond flat and well cultivated, and in some 

 places looking beautifully green. We drove on for about a mile 

 between something almost like hedges, and then stopped, got out, left 

 our carriage in the road, and walked about for an hour or so. I put my 

 net together at once, and had only just done so when a brown butter- 

 fly flitted by, and was netted, and I was pleased to find that I had 

 captured a fine Lasiommata Xiphia, and seven others were soon ob- 

 tained. They were evidently just coming out, for they were quite 

 fresh and in beautiful condition. Besides these, Pieris raped and 

 JDapJidice and Clirysoplianus P hi was — the latter with much larger 

 black spots than in British examples — were taken, and several Pyrameis 

 cardui seen. The country this side of Laguna was very pretty, and 

 after walking on until we could see the sea the other side of the island, 

 we returned to our carriage and drove back to Santa Cruz. 



On 24th December, we arrived and anchored off the estuary of 

 the river Ouro, on the "West Coast of Africa, in lat. 23°, 40' INT., and 

 remained until the 29th. This locality, I expect, has never been visited 

 by an entomologist ; and from the ship, entomologically speaking, the 

 aspect was most desolate, nothing as far as the eye could reach but 



* On the 16th January this larva produced a fine Agrotis, unlike any species with which I am 

 acquainted. 



