THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 173 



fritillary of some kind. I told the circumstance to Parry, of 

 this town, who showed nic two fair specimens that he had 

 taken at the same spot (I may add, there is no collusion 

 between us, only wo both possess the knowledge of this 

 locality), and he told me he thought they were Niobe, or a 

 new fritillary. They were thought, however, to be but a 

 variety of Adippe. This year I was again too late to see the 

 first of the males: ray impression is they are out the end of 

 May, and the females a month later, or less, perhaps. The 

 female sent to Mr. Doubleday had just emerged when I took 

 it, whilst the males I have are much worn, and Aglaia males 

 bright and fresh, and no female Aglaia. The locality is a 

 huge rent, caused at some remote lime by a convulsion of 

 Nature, with almost perpendicular sides, and covered with 

 long grass, amidst which peep out the flowers of the wild 

 heart's-ease, which grow here in great profusion. Upon these 

 steepy slopes, where an alpen-stock would not be despised 

 by any but an entomologist, fly Aglaia, but not Niobe. At 

 the bottom of this trough, which is no more than a few yards 

 wide, grows a kind of rush, and there, within a confined area, 

 is to be found Niobe, — and very few, alas, indeed. Their 

 flight is unmistakably different from Aglaia: they hover with 

 an Athalia-like movement amongst the rushes, and fly with 

 even greater rapidity than Aglaia; but, as a thistle-head will 

 lure back a Paphia, so some herbage attraction (or otherwise) 

 amongst the rushes brings them back to the same spot, and 

 so they are captured. The female I took did not off"er to fly ; 

 and my man, who collects for me and has taken another, tells 

 me the same thing. In conclusion, let me add that the 

 entomologist, when taking his yearly outing, would do well 

 to work the neighbourhood of Wye and Ashlbrd; and if he 

 does not succeed in finding the haunt of Niobe, he will not 

 for want of sport leave it " all tears;" and I can answer (with 

 favourable weather) that he will take insects commonly here 

 that occur elsewhere as rarities. — W. Wicjan ; Ccuilerhury. 



Argynnis Niobe a Briiish Insect. — Yesterday morning, 

 just before I was leaving town, I received from Mr. G. Parry, 

 of Canterbury, a living specimen of this butterfly taken the 

 day before, and a request that I should come down on the 

 following Friday, when he would take me to the place of its 

 capture, that I might see and take it myself, and thus confirm 



