A year's work in PORTLAND. 43 



the Orkneys, Shetlauds aud Hebrides. Mr. C. G. Barrett (Ent. Mo. 

 Mag. vol. xxii. p. 125), reports it as " occurring near Dublin." 



^. var. (Ethiops, Stdgr. — This is an extreme development of the var. 

 infiiscata, White, the whole of the anterior wings intensely black, with no 

 paler markings, aud scarcely the slightest trace of any markings whatever; 

 some specimens are perfectly unicolorous. The most perfectly unicolorous 

 specimens I have, are from Mr. Percy Russ, of Sligo, although specimens 

 from the Lancashire coast, Glasgow and Aberdeen, are but little behind 

 them in intensity. 



(To be contiuued.) 



A YEAR'S WORK IN PORTLAND. 

 By Major Charles E. Partridge. 



When a rumour reached us in the autumn of 1887 that the 

 regiment to which I have the honour to belong was to move to 

 Portland in the following spring, our spirits generally fell to zero, 

 for the island bears a bad name. Personally I was delighted, for 

 I looked forward to working great havoc in the insect world. 

 February arrived and my hopes were realised. These, however, 

 were rudely shattered when I first saw the place, for to all 

 appearance it was one huge quarry. A fuller inspection later was 

 hardly more satisfactory, for there was not a sign of the wealth of 

 flowers, herbage, &c., which was soon to appear. The evil reports 

 circulated about the island are by no means exaggerated. The 

 weather is simply atrocious. If it doesn't rain it blows, and when 

 tired of both it fogs ; and such fogs too ! Worse still, one cannot 

 foretell for an hour how many of these pleasant surprises are in 

 store, the changes come so quickly. Many a time have I left 

 home certain of success, and before reaching the ground all was 

 changed, and I returned home disgusted. I can also speak feel- 

 ingly of the hardness of the Portland boulders, with which the 

 whole place is strewed. Many an ugly fall have I had, and often 

 have I risen a sorer and sadder man. Owing to these many draw- 

 backs and the really dangerous nature of the ground, Portland 

 can never become a popular hunting ground ; and I am confident 

 only those living on the spot can ever hope to work it successfully. 

 Sad to relate, a railway is now in course of construction, further 

 circumscribing an already very limited extent of ground, and 

 before many months are over smoke and an influx of " trippers " 

 will ruin the place, and good local insects will be things of the past. 



Owing to bad weather, which on more than one occasion 

 lasted for several weeks, also to the fact that the ivy was so back- 

 ward that I have not worked it, and last, but not least, to the fact 

 of my being utterly ignorant of the habits, &c., of the Tinese, the 

 following list is far smaller than it would have been in better 

 bands ; nevertheless the total number reached 339 species, 



