268 THE entomologist's record. 



Mr. Edwards' rain guage reads thus : — 



June. July. August. 



1909. 5-80 ... 1909. 3-13 ... 1909. 3-09 



1910. 5-84 ... 1910. 2-21 ... 1910. 2-03 



1911. 1-50 ... 1911. -05 ... 1911. -05 



1912. 4-61 ... 1912. 1-50 ... 1912. 6-94 



I remember that in 1910 nearly all the summer week-ehds were 

 wet or dull, occasionally we did get a sunny day during the week, but 

 this year, after Ascot week, I do not recollect even one real hot 

 summer day. The only summer that compared with 1911, so far as 

 my notes show, were in 1887, 1893, 1895 and 1897. I shall never 

 forget 1893, as the sunshine was practically continuous from March, 

 until the end of August, 1895 rivalled it and was said to have created 

 a record for sunshine. 



These remarks and weather records, although not of entomological 

 interest, may be of use as shewing the effect of a cycle of wet summers 

 upon butterfly life, and we older entomologists are always remarking 

 upon the scarcity of the Rhopalocera in recent years. That there 

 is a scarcity I think it is generally agreed, but the cause is difficult to 

 explain. To return, however, to matters entomological, in late April 

 and during May the weather was all that could be desired, and having 

 determined to devote the season to renewing the somewhat old series 

 of " blues " in my cabinet, I made excursions to the various chalk 

 downs. 



A journey to Surrey for larvte of Ai/riades thetis on April 22nd, 

 proved too late, five only could be found, the majority having 

 apparently gone down for pupation. On this occasion a few Kncldoe 

 cardcvnines and Cdaatrina an/ioliis were seen on the wing, and signs 

 generally showed that the season was more than a week in advance. 

 A visit on April 28th to Horsley, found Nisoniades tali's, IJesperia 

 iiialcir, E. cardaiiiiucs, Callojihnjs nibi, and C. an/iolns plentiful, 

 and a few larva of Volijo)ini>atns karus were taken off' Lotus cornicnlatKs 

 in full-fed condition. On May 11th, a visit to Monk's Wood with 

 my brother, Mr. A. Russell, for larva of Stnj^ion pruni was quite 

 unproductive, but I was rewarded by taking a pair of Paran/e wcf/aera 

 in cop., the result of which enabled me to renew my series of that 

 species to great advantage. S. pnini seems to have almost disappeared 

 from Monk's Wood, either from the efforts of beaters, or from some 

 other causes, and this is in spite of the fact that the wood is much more 

 rigidly preserved than formerly, and access is not readily given. The 

 blackthorn plantations that produced the larva so plentifully some 

 years ago have become an impenetrable forest. I have found the same 

 scarcity in other localities for this species, and personally I ascribe the 

 cause to ichneumons. The species like all the other lluralidae {Thcclidac) 

 seem to be either very common or very scarce. On May 19th, a visit 

 to Horsley produced many beautiful " blue " forms of l\ icanis, one 

 taken by Mr. Frohawk being particularly striking in colour and 

 brightness. We both remarked that we had never previously seen 

 snch an abundance of defined " blue " forms, but they were confined 

 to one field. 



With Mr. Frohawk a visit was next made to Ranmoro in the after- 

 noon, when /'. icanis were found to be well out, the " blue " female 



