240 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



before taking to the wing again. On searching for one of these in a 

 bunch of nettles, I found it cHnging to a leaf, from which it quietly 

 allowed itself to be boxed. It was, contrary to my expectation, a 

 male. The promise of mid-July was ruined by the break-up of the 

 weather at the end of the month : a succession of thunderstorms 

 practically put an end to entomological pursuits. This part of the 

 Forest was converted into the consistency of a wet sponge. This 

 condition, combined with the scarcity of insects, the spectre of rheu- 

 matism, and rapidly approacliing age (as measured by the military 

 authorities), checked entomological ardour for a time, though the 

 over-verdant optimism of the entomologist looks forward to every 

 coming season as a time of new triumplis in fresh fields and pastures 

 now. — A. E. BuiiRAs, B.A., Portsmouth. 



" Rare Butterflies in Flocks.— A remarkable spectacle may 

 be seen now in County Roscommon, and, indeed, throughout Central 

 Ireland, where myriads of rare and beautiful Lepidoptera arc disporting 

 themselves. The lovely peacock butterfly is the most numerous, and 

 clusters of this species may be seen on a single plant. They can be 

 taken in the hand or plucked, like fruit, from a tree. The swallow- 

 tail, red admiral, painted lady, and many other varieties are here in 

 profusion. It is a record occasion for collectors." The above cutting 

 from this day's ' Daily Mail ' may be found interesting. Fancy 

 plucking peacocks, like fruit, from a tree ! But I have my doubts 

 about the swallow-tails. — Gekvase F. Mathew ; 5, The Terrace, 

 Instow, N. Devon, September 11th, 1917. 



OBITUARY. 



By the death of Arthur Charles Vine, which took place on July 

 30th last, we have lost another of those workers of the latter half 

 of the last century who collected Lepidoptera more from a love of 

 Nature than with any ulterior scientific object in view. Resident in 

 Brighton, his chief hunting grounds were the Dowms between that 

 town and Lewes, occasionally extending the range of his activities 

 to more distant places such as Abbott's Wood, Tilgate Forest, and 

 so forth, and probably few had a more intimate knowledge of the 

 capabilities of these districts than he. Ever generous to his 

 intimates, he never tired of sharing with them tlie fruits of his 

 work, whether by the gift of specimens or by imparting to them 

 such information as he possessed in regard to species in which they 

 might be interested ; but he contributed little to literature. Indeed, 

 so far as we are aware, a couple of notices in the earlier numbers of 

 this magazine, the one recording the capture of Catocala clectaa near 

 Brighton and the other that of Polygonia c-alhumm Sussex, were his 

 chief contributions. For many years during the later part of his 

 life he delighted in tracking down and rearing many of the obscure 

 species of Micros, and it is to be regretted that much useful informa- 

 tion that ho thus obtained was not put on record. His manipulation 

 of the minute specimens that resulted was worthy of all praise. 

 He was born on Christmas Day, 1844, and was therefore in his 

 seventy-third year at the time of his death. R. A. 



