THE LEPIDOPTERA OF THE SMALLER CHANNEL ISLANDS. 175 



So ended a very wet week, but we felt we had risen superior to 

 circumstances, and indeed had tal^en many things — especially in the 

 larvae line — that we might have missed had the weather been fine and 

 all our time devoted to butterflies. 



The Lepidoptera of the Smaller Channel Islands. 



By W. J. KAYE, F.E.S. 

 I have just returned from a month's (August) ramble in the different 

 Channel Islands. Although most of the time was spent in Jersey and 

 Guernsey, which are already quite well known, visits to Alderney, 

 Sark and Herm proved that these smaller islands are well supplied 

 with butterflies, while of the moths ( alliinorpha (iiiaih-ipiinctaria {hera) 

 is to be found everywhere. The three smaller islands are so very much 

 less in area than their two larger sister isles, that it is instructive 

 to have the areas compared. Jersey, 29,000 acres; Guernsey, 14,000; 

 Alderney, 2,000; Sark, 1,200; Herm, 200. 



Alderney is a bleak wind-swept island and 1 was pleasantly 

 surprised to find C. hem soon after landing, flying on the highest part 

 of the island. I saw one only, but that proved that the insect was 

 a resident, for I cannot imagine C. Iiera flying across from France. 

 The flights are always short but rapid, and 10 to 15 mile flights must 

 be out of the question. Of the butterflies noted there were only seven 

 for certain, Rumicia phlaeas being doubtful. Those actually observed 

 were Colias croceiis (ediisa), Paran/e nm/era, Pt/rameis aUdanta, Vanessa 

 io, Pieris biassicae, Pieris rapae and Pub/oininatits icarus. I am unable 

 to find any records from Alderney, but I believe I have read of Melitaea 

 cinxia being taken there as well as in Sark and in Guernsey. 



Although Sark is not much more than half the size of Alderney its 

 contour is very difierent, and there are delightful sheltered valleys, 

 where lepidoptera are found in abundance. AYhile Alderney scarcely 

 has a tree, Sark is well wooded. It is about 22 miles from the coast 

 of France and 9 miles from Guernsey. Probably quite a considerable 

 list of butterflies and moths could be worked up by a resident collector. 

 What I observed on August 25th were the following : Callimorjiha 

 hera, several ; Zyjaena trifolii, worn and going over ; Hipocrita 

 jacobaeae, larvae; Abraxas ffrnssalariata, several flying; Acvlalia 

 straininata, one; Colias croceus {ediisa) ; Pararge mef/era, very common; 

 Satyriis semele, abundant ; Vanessa io, common ; P. atalanta, Epine- 

 phele tithonns, abundant ; Epinephcle jiirtina, Pieris brassieae, Pieris 

 rapae, Hiiinicia pldaeas, I'oli/onnnatiis icaiKs, and Cifaniris ari/idlns. On a 

 Centaurea head I noted the large green rose-chafer beetle, i'etonia 

 aurata. 



In the small island of Herm the occurrence of even the eight 

 observed species is rather remarkable when one considers the amount 

 of inbreeding that must have taken place down through the ages. 

 C. croceus and P. atala>ita would be remforced with immigrants, but 

 the remainder are probably entirely segregated. The remaining 

 five species seen were : Paran/e inegera, Satyrus semele, EpinepJiele 

 tithonus, E. jurtina, Pob/onnnatus icarus, and Pieris rapae. Of the 

 moths as usual Calliviorpha hera was present, but only one was seen. 

 No one would expect any specialised forms in such small islands 

 especially as neither Jersey nor Guernsey produce any special local 



