ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES, ETC. ' 57 



at Little Benton. Crahro leucostoma occurred in great abundance 

 at Long Benton, and Crahro elongatulus was taken at Little 

 Benton. I regret mucli that my notices of Lejoidoptera are so 

 very scant. I cannot but think that many of the larger and 

 more conspicuous species must occur within our limits, of which 

 no record w^hatever is made. Now that we have a catalogue of 

 butterflies and hawk-moths, it will easily be seen which of the 

 species are rare, and I shall be greatly obliged by notices of their 

 occurrence. It may appear to many persons that the capture of 

 a butterfly or moth is too trifling a matter for record; let such 

 parties, howeA''er, but think that every well authenticated occur- 

 rence of an insect, if rare, not only possesses present interest, but 

 may become of great value hereafter in elucidating the geogra- 

 phical distribution of insects, and they will, I hope, be of a very 

 different opinion. I have only notes of two species. Vanessa 

 C-Album was taken in great plenty in Castle Eden Dene, one per- 

 son having taken about fifty specimens this year (1857), and as 

 many as one hundred and fifty the year previous (1856). Of course 

 this was the work of a mere collector, whose name is best sunk 

 in the oblivion it merits. No Naturalist would be guilty of such 

 wholesale slaughter, which cannot be too severely reprobated. The 

 destruction of well-known and beautiful creatures, for no scientific 

 purpose, cannot be too much condemned; and I do hope that every 

 member of our Club will exert himself to stay the murderous 

 work which threatens, at no distant day, to exterminate every 

 rarity, be it bird, insect, or plant. 



Mr. Sang records Acrolepia betulatella, as having been taken 

 in Castle Eden Dene. 



VIII. — Ornithological Notes. By John Hancock. 



[Read December lOtli, 1858.] 



On the 10th May, 1857, I accompanied my friend, Mr. Charles 

 Adamson, to Gosforth Lake, and we had there the pleasure of 

 observing a pair of Ruffs, Tringa pugnax, male and female, 



VOL. IV. PT. I. H 



