DEVONSHIRE. 

 Br H. T. StaixNton, F.L.S. 



Sixteen years have now elapsed since I paid my first visit 

 to Devonshire, and since the year 1848 scarcely a year has 

 passed without ray paying one or two visits to that county. 



My first impressions were certainly disappointment. Hav- 

 ing read so m.uch of the beauties of Devonshire, I had raised 

 my expectations to such an extent, that, as too frequently 

 happens, not only in sight-seeing, but also in other aspects of 

 life, a re-action was inevitable, and now, after abusing for 

 years the county of Devon for being over-praised, I am be- 

 ginning to appreciate better its actual charms. 



An abundance of insects is certainly not one of the attrac- 

 tions of Devonshire ; in no part of Devonshire which I have 

 explored have I found Lepidoptera as numerous, either in 

 species or in individuals, as Kent or Surrey, and with the 

 exception of the still unique Ornix Devoniella I have not 

 met with a single species peculiar to the county. 



Owing to the physical configuration of Devonshire, it is 

 an extremely well- watered county : lying well to the west and 

 with a western coast, the clouds coming from the Atlantic, 

 saturated with moisture, are obliged to pay toll as they pass 

 over the high table-lands of Dartmoor and Exmoor, whence 

 stream down in a northerly, westerly and southerly direction 

 the Lynn, the Taw, the Torridge, the Tamar, the Tavy, the 

 Dart, the Teign and the Exe. These rivers, which in thei)- 

 higher courses are rushing mountain-streams, dashing over 



1865. B 



