ENTOMOLOGY AT BARMOUTH. 291 



of that river to Bala Lake. For still there is the Dee, although 

 now reduced to a mere brook splashing and tumbling among the 

 rocks. A sharp look-out must be kept through the carriage- 

 window, or we miss the top of the watershed, and find we are 

 speeding along the banks of another stream which flows in an 

 opposite direction. This is the river Mawddach, and, by the 

 time we reach Dolgelly, it is a respectable stream. The train 

 rushes on to Barmouth Junction, where we change to the 

 Cambrian Railway, and so cross the Mawddach Estuary to 

 Barmouth along the viaduct. 



During the last two summers I have had the pleasure of 

 spending a week in July with my friend, Mr. W. J. Kerr, of 

 Tan-y-Bwlch, and now of Cromer, who takes a house at Bar- 

 mouth for the summer months. Before entering upon an 

 account of the insects observed, it may be well to give some idea 

 of the country which formed our hunting-ground, and which 

 possesses such an attractive insect fauna. (1.) A coast-line of 

 sand-hills (bare) or shingle. (2.) Flat ground, frequently 

 marshy, sometimes cultivated, often meadows. (3.) Belt of 

 rising ground, very rocky, heathery, and woody up to 1500 ft. 

 or so. (4.) Slate or granite mountains with grassy patches 

 frequently 2000 to 3000 ft.; highest point, Cader Idris (the 

 chair of the giant Idris). 



A stranger to Barmouth can hardly fail to notice the greetings 

 of numerous jackdaws, the music of the sweet church chimes, 

 and the magnificent flora of the gardens. Here, in a favoured 

 climate, the valerian (so attractive to insects) abounds ; veronicas, 

 white and blue, and hydrangeas of chameleon tints, blossom as 

 thickly as hawthorns : they live out of doors all through the 

 winter, and from their size convert the gardens into veritable 

 shrubberies. Tree mallows, eight or nine feet high, and covered 

 with pink blossoms, give an impression as of a foreign land. 



Each of my visits was timed for July 15th, and a glance at 

 the floral wealth referred to showed the season of 1905 to be 

 quite a week later than that of the preceding year. And as with 

 flowers, so with insects, as the sequel showed. 



I found my friend had been entomologically busy. Among 

 other things on his setting-boards, taken between the 18th of 

 June and July 8th, were a fine series of Chcerocampa porcellus, 

 netted at valerian flowers; a series of Apamea unanimis, also 

 taken at valerian flowers (both species common) ; three Cucullia 

 asteris (only three seen, and all at valerian) ; a fine series of 

 Hadena contigua, taken at sugar ; Mamestra persicarice, common 

 at sugar ; a darkly marked Noctua festiva, all wings suffused with 

 smoky, upper wings with central black spots, also black markings ; 

 one Agrotis suffusa, one M.furva, one Xylophasia scolopacina, one 

 N. ditrapezium, two Aplecta nebulosa, one Mania maura — all taken 

 at sugar ; A. ripce, Plusia festucce (one), Acromjcta ligustri, I no 



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