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FURTHER NOTES ON NORTH DEVON. 



By Richard South. 



t 

 I HAVE just returned from a sojourn of some weeks among 



the "burrows," "combes," "tors," and "hoes" of North Devon, 



and think a few notes on my entomological experience whilst 



there might not be without interest. 



The past mild winter, and more especially the early springy 

 had induced me to anticipate a good collecting season, on the 

 ground of my last season's campaign, but I was disappointed. I 

 expected certain species to be on the wing at least a week earlier 

 than they were last year, but instead of this they were actually 

 later by eight or nine days than last year's dates. The weather 

 too, during the latter half of May and the first fortnight of June, 

 was not altogether of that character best suited to the capture 

 of Lepidoptera, for quite two-thirds of the days were either wet or 

 windy, or both ; and the nights as a rule were clear and cold, 

 even frosty. Sugar was consequently almost an entire failure ; 

 on one night only (June 3rd) did moths come in any number to 

 the sweets. The following day a big thunder storm upset the 

 atmospherical equipoise, and the wind blew with considerable 

 force from the south-west to north-west for several days after- 

 wards. Indeed it was not until the 12th that the weather 

 became again anything like settled, but it then only took a day's 

 rest, for on the morning of the 13th commenced another squall, 

 which continued until the 16th, when I metaphorically struck my 

 tent and beat a retreat. 



Argynnis Euphrosyne was not so abundant as its congener, 

 A. Selene. This latter was to be met with in every copse near 

 water, and by the side of most brooks whenever the sun shone ; 

 females were rarely met with. 



Melit<Ba Athalia. — Larvse of this species were found feeding 

 on yellow cow- wheat {Melampyrum pratense) and foxglove [Digi- 

 talis purpurea) ; the former plant seemed the favourite food. On 

 the 5th of June three imagines of the species were captured, and 

 others afterwards to the 12th of June, on which date larvae were 

 still found. 



Zygcena filipendulcs was very abundant in the larval stage 



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