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BUTTEEFLIES OF THE OXFORDSHIRE CHILTERNS. 



By the Rev. J. W. Bussey Bell, M.A. 



I HAVE been much interested by Mr. H. Rowland-Brown's 

 articles in the ' Entomologist' on the " Butterflies of the Bucks. 

 Chilterns." For the past five and twenty years, during which, 

 up to August last, I was Vicar of Pyrton in the close neighbour- 

 hood of the Oxfordshire Chilterns, I have collected and carefully 

 listed the Macro-Lepidoptera within a radius of five miles of my 

 Vicarage. My best hunting-grounds for butterflies have been 

 the gullies of the hills not many miles removed from the 

 Buckinghamshire border. It occurs to me therefore that my 

 notes of captures may be of some interest. 



G. rhamni. — Abundant both before and after hybernation. The 

 food-plant of Rkamnus catharticus is common on the scrub-covered 

 portions of the hills. 



G. edusa. — A few isolated specimens observed nearly every season. 

 It was fairly common in clover fields in 1892, and again in 1900, in 

 both which years specimens of ab. liclicc were observed. 



G. hyale.— Also occurred in the district in 1892. I did not myself 

 procure it, but an old pupil, now Dr. Clare Wiggins, F.E.S., took six 

 in the neighbourhood of Wathngton. In 1900 it was far more 

 common along the foothills than cdusa, and I took as many 

 specimens as I wanted with ease. In the following year I observed 

 three on different occasions, and in 1902 a solitary one. All these 

 were in or after the month of August. I never encountered a first 

 brood specimen. 



P. brassiccB, P. rapce, and P. najn. — All common in the district. 



E. cardamines. — Common in all favourable springs. I think I 

 note a preponderance of females about the hills. 



ill. galatea. — Twenty years ago the metropolis of the species 

 appeared to be situated in one hillside field near the top of Watlington 

 Hill, where they are still to be found in plenty, but from there they 

 have spread for a mile or more along the slopes on either side where 

 I never used to meet with them in early collecting days in the 

 neighbourhood. 



P. egcria var. egerides. — Common on the edges of the hillside 

 beech woods. 



P. megcera. — Quite scarce along the hills, rather more common 

 a mile away on the plain, but nowhere abundant in the district. 



H. semele. — Very scarce indeed. I have not seen one since 1898, 

 and the only local specimen I possess was caught and given to me 

 by Dr. Wiggins many years ago. 



E. tithoims. — Abundant along the hedgerows at foot of hills. 



A. hyperantkus. — Common at edge of woods on hills. 



G. pamphiliis. — About the commonest of our hill butterflies. 



P. cardui. — A few hybernated specimens and also autumn brood 

 encountered most seasons, but I have never known it abundant, nor 

 have I ever found the larva, though I have searched for it. 



