NOTES ON NEW AND RARE SPECIES. 119 



wholesale by disease and other results of atmospheric in- 

 fluences. 



Our only hope lies in the advent of a hard winter, followed 

 by a succession of hot summers and autumns ; at least the 

 experience of past years would lead us to believe that such 

 will be the remedy for the present dearth of Lepidoptera. 

 If we look back we shall find that the notably severe winters 

 which terminated the years of 1824, 1834, 1844, 1854 (those 

 of 1794 and 1814 were also intense), were followed by seasons 

 remarkably t^ood for collectini^. Thus 1826 is termed by 

 Mr. IddAe^^ Annus MlrahiUs;"m 1836 the Lepidopterist 

 was again '*in his glory;" 1846 goes by the name of 'Mhe 

 great Convolvuli and Antiopa year ;" and we all know what 

 the summers and autumns succeeding the winter of 1854-5 

 produced. As a matter of probability it follows that the 

 winter of 1864-5 will be intense, and that after it things will 

 begin to look up again. It may be here briefly guessed that 

 the reasons why hard winters act favourably are, firstly, that 

 the hybernating larvae being more torpid are not tempted 

 from their hiding-places by deceitful warmth, and are there- 

 fore less exposed to the ravages of hungry birds &c. and to 

 the risk of starvation ; and secondly, that ichneumons, occu- 

 pying as they do the bodies of larvae and pupae, which, from 

 their imperfect development have been unable to secure them- 

 selves from the eff'ects of the frost, are killed off". On the 

 other hand, hot seasons rouse to life the dormant pupa3 of 

 rarer species, some of which are known to remain during 

 many years in the chrysalis (and why not in the egg ?) state. 



Although the foregoing remarks on the blank year of 1863 

 are the reverse of encouraging, we have nevertheless a few 

 novelties captured in preceding years to record and note ; 

 and it may here be mentioned that Lyccena Dorijlas, a 



