CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 251 



mcluding P. brassicce and Euchloe cardainines (the latter very local), were 

 common in May ; and so were Heliaca tenehrata (arhuti) among the butter- 

 cups, and, in marshy places, the graceful little " blue " dragonHies, Agrion 

 jmella and Ischnura elegans. On May 24th a Chester friend sent me a couple 

 of large dark reddish brown Geometer larvae found feeding in his garden 

 on ivy. About the middle of June they turned out a fine male and female 

 Boarmia rhomhoidaria. On May 29th I went to Delamere Forest again for 

 T. biundularia. The moth was over. I took two Cidaria corylata, and 

 several very variable Tortrix ministrana. Larvae from low birches were 

 four Geometm papilionaria, all free from parasites. Several A. flavicornis, 

 Tortrix corylana, aud one of Hybcrnia aurantiaria. Three of the G. papi- 

 lionaria emerged as moths on July 2nd and 3rd, the fourth on the 17th. 

 Between June 2nd aud 10th E. pulchellata appeared in my breeding-pots, 

 from last year's larvae taken in Delamere Forest from foxglove flowers in 

 July. June 5th was one of the most enjoyable days spent in the Forest 

 district (Whitegate Heaths). Object : Ccenonympha typlwn (davus), but it 

 was not in evidence. Other insects were Ematurya atomaria (abundant 

 aud variable), Melanippe sociata [subtristata), Acronycta rumicis, Hypsipetes 

 impluviata. Beetles, such as Cicendela campestris and Cocciuellidae, were 

 on the wing in green and scarlet, common aud numerous. Dragoutiies 

 were represented by ^schna juncea, plenty of Leucorrhinia dubia, and 

 Enallagma cyathigerwn, together with numbers of Libellulaquadrimaculata. 

 The hot sun made the birches give out a strong primrose-like scent. I 

 nearly trod on a linnet's nest full of loudly protesting youngsters. Now 

 followed some cold non-entomological weather, which changed all at once to 

 the proverbial "Queen's" — appropriately enough on Jubilee Day (June 

 22nclj. On the 23rd I found a freshly emerged black A. betiUaria at 

 Chester ; in fact we only seem to get the type now in Delamere Forest, 

 and there it occurs side by side with the black form. June 24th and 25th 

 were dull quiet days, the very weather for rock aud tree hunting in the 

 early morning. June 26th, Delamere Forest. Hot and sunny. Thecla 

 rubi plentiful, but in poor condition. Other lepidopterous insects were 

 Nemeophila russula, Pseudoterpna pruinata [cytisaria), Drepanafalcataria 

 (falcula), Eubolia palumbarla, and a few other common geometers. Oener- 

 ally speaking, this appeared to be a gala day at Delamere among the 

 local insects, for 1 never saw so many at a given time. True the gadflies 

 took a liberal tax from the human onlooker, until a blow from the hand 

 settled the account. For days afterwards there would be little swellings and 

 smartings at the punctures, but all this is inevitable if we get into such 

 company. Ichneumons were busy and quick in their movements among 

 the leaves, where, curiously enough, there seemed to be no larvae. One 

 wasp-like species, with a pair of long tail-like appendages, I tried hard to 

 get, but failed. Great spiders in pea-green, and with a rose-coloured patch 

 on the abdomen, sat on the birch leaves, whilst a beetle, with dark bronze- 

 green thorax and bronze-brown wing-cases (possibly Phyllopertha hortlcola), 

 spun and danced without moving an inch Irom directly over the centre of 

 the birch bush. It is to be hoped the creature's enjoyment was com- 

 mensurate with its activity. I only saw one C. typlwn (davus) at Delamere 

 this season — July 3rd — a fine fresh female full of eggs, aud of course I let 

 her go. Curious that Anarta myrtilli should be so comparatively scarce, 

 while, on the other hand, Flusia gamma appears to have obtained a new 

 lease of life. On July 14th a fine A:^. grandis was brought to me, which had 

 flown into a shop in the city the previous evening. Altogether the present 



