36 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ibis fine species is being rapidly exlerminaled, and, at tbe 

 present rate of destruction, will in the course of a few years 

 cease to exist in ibat particular localit}'. 



LyC(E}ia Avion — one of the largest European blues — is a 

 butterfly which, on account of its restricted habits, but few 

 British entomologists have had opportunities of seeing alive, 

 so perhaps some account of my various excursions to Bolt- 

 head in quest of it may not be altogether uninteresting. 



My first visit was on Jidy 7th, 1870, and a glorious 

 morning it was, as we left Kingsbridge by steamer at half- 

 past nine for Salcombe. The trip down the estuary occupied 

 about an hour: on the way several liUely-looking woods 

 were passed, while on the mud-banks stately herons stood 

 and watched us as we steamed by, or, rising, flew in a 

 flapping, lazy manner a short distance, and again alighted. 



On reaching Salcombe I went to the King's Arms Inn, 

 where I procured a bed-room and sitting-room : the floor of 

 the latter showed signs, in the shape of strips of paper, stray 

 pins, &c., of the recent presence of an entomologist. Upon 

 enquiry I learnt that a "fly-catching gentleman" had only 

 vacated the room the previous day ; but could not ascertain 

 from the landlady what he had been catching, or whether he 

 had taken any blues : all she knew was that he had been 

 several times out to "the Bolt." By this time it was nearly 

 eleven o'clock, so as soon as I had unpacked my apparatus, 

 and partaken of some slight refreshment, off 1 started. 



The day had now become excessively hot ; there was 

 scarcely a breath of air to counterbalance the scorching rays 

 of the sun, and in the evening, when my labours were over, 

 I found the back of my neck was much blistered. The 

 distance from the village to Bolthead is about two miles, the 

 path in many places steep and rough. Arion occurs chiefly 

 beyond the Bolt to the westward, where, between it and the 

 next point, a slope sweeps down from the brow of the high 

 land to the edge of the cliff's below, and here, at times, when 

 the turf is tlry and slippery, it is decidedh* dangerous to 

 approach too near the cliffs. The upper portion of this slope 

 was thickly overgrown with patches of stunted furze and 

 heather, the latter in profuse bloom ; in the open spots wild 

 thyme, Polentilla, and bird's-foot trefoil flourished; while, 

 iurther down, thistles, mullein, and foxglove reared their 



