294 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Platyptilia gonodactyla, flying over the flowers of a species of 

 yarrow. 



_ Why there should have been something Kke a general expect- 

 ation — not by any means confined to this district — that we were 

 going to have an " Edusa year," I am unable to say. Our last 

 Edusa advent occurred in 1877, when the butterfly was freely 

 taken in June and September. But, as if in defiance of all 

 attempts at fixing another "year" for 1887, — that is, after a 

 mathematical ten years, — the insect ever after refused to show 

 itself. However, strangely enough, I am able to report a capture 

 of, at any rate, one specimen — on the usual sunny, flowery kind 

 of bank the insect loves so well — close to Chester. But more 

 about Colias anon. 



A more wretched autumn for collecting I do not remember 

 than the present one. The only method practicable, as far as 

 rain and east winds will permit, is that of working the gas-lamps 

 after dark ; but even lamp moths have been far from plentiful. 

 I took about the usual numbers of Eiigonia alniaria (tiliaria) 

 and Anchocelis lunosa, but A. pistacina, Luperina testacea, L. 

 cespitis, Orthosia lota, Hydroecia micacea, and Neuronia popidaris 

 have been few indeed. As I write, Himera pennaria and Hyhernia 

 defoliaria are to be seen occasionally on the gas-lamps. In June 

 I took two or three specimens of Phihalapteryx vittata (lignata), 

 and, in the early autumn, amongst other Micros, a long series of 

 the pretty Paraponyx stratiotana, all from the lamps. 



I will now take the reader back to a beautiful day in spring, 

 when, dashing along by rail into North Wales, I continued a long 

 series of attempts at an acquaintance with Agrotis ashworthii. 

 It will be understood this is a moth of which it may metaphor- 

 ically be said that too much should not be told in Gath or 

 published in Askelon. In the same carriage I met a stranger, — 

 a hale, but aged, Welsh minister, who must have been close upon 

 three score years and ten, — and little did I imagine he possessed 

 the key to my puzzle. As the train ran through the green fields 

 and pleasant sunshine we chatted together, as well as my 

 ignorance of Welsh and his limited English would permit, but 

 without touching upon Entomology. By-and-bye we left the 

 train at a wayside station, and bade each other good morning. 

 For the next few hours I worked hard among the slate and lime- 

 stone mountains, but without success. Just as I was about to 

 give up the task for the day, I was surprised at an unexpected 

 sight again of my reverend friend ; and, as I thought some 

 explanation might be opportune, I remarked that I was searching 

 for the larvae, after hybernation, of a certain insect. To my 

 further surprise he at once quoted the species, but added that my 

 endeavours could be of no avail. He then very kindly directed 

 me to a house, across the valley, where I should find a farmer 

 who had, in his day, collected numbers of ashworthii larvae. 



