302 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



bab'ility to the doubtful records of this butterfly in Kent. Possibly 

 the Hesperiids have been overlooked, just as for so many years 

 was Evercs argiades until its chance discovery by the Eev. 

 Pickard-Cambridge added this charming little "blue" to our 

 scanty and diminishing list of British Lycsenas, 



Our list of observations for Samoussy includes the following 

 species : — Hespcria malvce, Pamphila sylvanus ; Nomiades cyllarus, 

 Polyommatus icarus ; Thecla ilicis ; Pieris brassica, P. rapce ; 

 Aporia cratcegi ; Dryas paphia, Argynnis aglaia, A. adippe var. 

 cleodoxa, Issoria lathonia ; Brenthis ino, B. dia ; Melitcea ma- 

 turna, J\I. atJialia, M. dictynna ; Araschnia levana ; Polygonia 

 c-alhum (pupa); Limenitis populi ab. tremidce (1), L. sihylla ; 

 Pararge a chine ; Epinephele jurtina; Aphantopus hypcrantJius ; 

 Coenonympha arcania, C. pampldhis. I may add also that I have 

 seen recently, in M. Charles Oberthur's collection, what ajjpear 

 to be undoubted examples of M. aurelia from this locality,; and 

 the same authority gives us in the last instalment of his ' Etudes 

 de Lepidopterologie Comparee ' (fasc. iv. p. 142) an account of 

 an expedition to this lovely forest on June 13th of last year, 

 made by Mr. Harold Powell, F.E.S., M. Een6 Oberthiir, F.E.S., 

 and Mr. Henry Brown, in search of Chrysophanus dispar var. 

 riUilus. This beautiful insect they did not find in the marshes, 

 nor in the recorded habitats of the species near St. Quentin, 

 from which it has disappeared altogether apparently. In addi- 

 tion to the butterflies enumerated above, however, they observed 

 C. hippothoe (= chryseis), quite fresh ; Erebia medusa, going 

 over ; Melitcea aurinia, passe ; M. cinxia, rare and in bad con- 

 dition ; the above-mentioned M. aurelia ; and Hesperia carthami. 

 Erom which it will be seen that the forest is particularly rich in 

 Melitaeas as well as Apaturids, and that, given normal June 

 weather, a very decent bag may be made at this particular 

 season of the year. 



Before concluding this brief account of our first experi- 

 ences of the Aisne, I should like to say that Samoussy and the 

 forests further west towards the Belgian frontier, as well as 

 eastwards, offer a fine field for collectors of all Orders. The 

 ponds, marshes, and meadow-sweet bordered runnels which 

 march with the several main rides of Samoussy teem with 

 insect-life, especially Odonata. My French friends inform me 

 that the coleopterous fauna is hardly less rich. But I would 

 advise entomologists who contemplate a visit securing their 

 accommodation well ahead. There is one auberge only, kept by 

 M. Hemmery, the local agent des vins, and but two or three bed- 

 rooms at the most. Nevertheless, for a country inn the accom- 

 modation is excellent, the rooms spotlessly clean, the cooking 

 surprisingly good, considering the remoteness of the place, and 

 a pleasant contrast to that of the hotel we dined at in Laon, 

 which was both dear and none too well " found." Above all, it is 



