SOCIETIES. 71 



Sussex ; it was at one time very abundant at Chailey, the home of my 

 ancestors. I recollect that some school-children brought over to Mr. 

 Auckland from thence a clothes'-basket covered with pinned specimens of 

 M. aurinia ; there were about 400. Mr. Auckland's note is as follows: — 

 'Abounded at Chailey from 8th May to June, 1834: I had sent me many 

 hundreds.' 



" Vanessa c-olbum. — Mr. Jenner notes it as 'Very rare; once at South- 

 over, Lewes ; Guestling, rare; Tilgate.' I have never taken this species 

 in Sussex, but in the hop-gardens it was once common, so much so that the 

 peasants had a local name for it, viz., the ' silver bug.' An aged relation 

 of mine has often described the species to me as being very well known, 

 but, although he made every endeavour between thirty or forty years ago to 

 obtain the larva for me, he found it was extinct. He himself, a grower of 

 hops, was very observant, and his testimony is therefore of value. 



" Vanessa jmlychloros. — Mr. Jenner says, 'Local and less common than 

 formerly.' I have scarcely seen this insect in Sussex for thirty years ; it 

 was at one time common near Lewes, and my series was taken at Keymer. 



"Melanaryia galatea. — Mr. Jenner says, 'Local, near Lewes (formerly); 

 Firle Beacon.' This is another singular case of the disappearance of a 

 lepidopteron once common near Lewes. At one time it appeared year after 

 year at Oxsettle, near Lewes ; I have not seen it there for over forty years. 

 Mr. Auckland notes that this species was taken by him at Plashet Wood, 

 Chailey, and Warningore Wood beginning of June. 



" Pararge egeria. — ' Woods and shady lanes ; not common, but generally 

 distributed ' (Jenner). This species is yearly becoming rarer. Mr. Stanton 

 Hillman, of Lewes, informs me that he has not seen one for years. In my 

 younger days it was common. 



" Lycdna agon. — ' Local ; Brighton, Hayward's Heath, Lewes, Chailey, 

 Tilgate Forest ' (Jenner). This insect was common at one time on Cliffe 

 Hill, Lewes. I find in my notes that on June 8Lh, 1844, I took fifteen. 

 Mr. Auckland notes it as found there during the months of July and 

 August. It has now quite disappeared from that locality ; I have not 

 seen it there for at least forty years. 



" With this I conclude ray notes. As to the causes of the progressive 

 rarity of the seven latter species mentioned I cannot hazard even a 

 conjecture ; but I feel tolerably certain that it has not been brought about 

 by the entomologists, although in some instances man may be the cause, 

 owing to the cultivation of the soil and the eradication of the food-plant of 

 the species." 



At the close of the paper a long and interesting discussion 

 ensued. Mr. Tugwell said some years since he had taken 

 Aporia cratagi at Heme, a village near Heme Bay, in profusion, 

 but it was no longer there. Mr. Chaney said that A. cratceyi 



