NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 255 



On the 22nd Polygonia c-album was taken — a rare visitor here — and 

 another was seen, In August the weather broke down : on the 

 15th I found Augiades comma abundant in one locaHty, but the 

 feature of the month was the profusion of Chrysopkanus phlceas 

 whicli had not been common in the earlier broods. Had I stayed 

 Marlborough I might have added Hipixtrcliia seniele to the list and 

 possibly Zephyrus betulcE, which occurs here. As it was, thirty-seven 

 species- of Ehopalocera were recorded, including a Colias edusa, 

 seen and pursued (not by myself) in June. None appeared at 

 Marlborough in August. I might add that on August 16th I 

 found a nest of Melitcsa aurinia larvae at roots of scabious ; they 

 seemed to be already hibernating, as the plant had not been recently 

 eaten. Pyrameis cardui was taken on May 30th, and there were 

 a few about in August. On June 6th I saw P. atalanta ovipositing 

 on nettles. It only laid one egg (which I secured), on a patch, and 

 then hurried on evidently bent on distributing them widely. It was 

 not abundant in August. — E. A. C. Stowell ; Fowey Grammar 

 School, Cornwall. 



BUTTEBFLIES OF THE COTSWOLDS (PaINSWICK DiSTEICT) IN 



August. — This year I had the pleasure of spending a fortnight at 

 Cranham (from August 4th to August 18th inclusive), and although 

 the weather was very unfavourable on the whole, the number and 

 variety of butterflies I encountered were well up to the average. 

 There were only two absolutely fine days — August Bank Holiday 

 and the day following (August 6th and 7th), and on these two days 

 Voi^iessa io absolutely swarmed on Painswick Beacon and in the 

 Cranham Woods, the specimens being of large size and in perfect 

 condition. I also saw about ten specimens of Polygonia c-album, the 

 majority of these being much worn. I have never seen these 

 previously in such numbers on the hills, and even in the valleys they 

 are far from common as a rule. There were a fair number of Aglais 

 tirtica on the wing, and full-fed larvae and pupge were to be found in 

 large numbers on every clump of stinging nettles, many of the latter 

 resembling burnished gold, the metallic colouring being so bright. I 

 noticed a number of wasps feeding upon the larvae which were 

 suspended beneath the leaves prior to pupating, and upon examina- 

 tion I discovered a large number of empty skins of larvae, which, I 

 have no doubt, had been destroyed by the wasps. I only saw one 

 specimen each of Pyrameis cardui and P. atalanta, but I noted 

 several larvae and pupae of the latter, On August 7th my little girl 

 took three specimens of Colias edusa in a clover field at Sheepscombe. 

 These were in fine condition, but I did not observe any others during 

 my stay. Agriades corydon were in large numbers on the hills at 

 Cranham, Birdlip, and Sheepscombe, and the second brood of 

 Cyaniris argiolus were common on Cooper's Hill and around the 

 holly trees in the lanes. I only saw one newly emerged specimen of 

 Agriades bellargics (male), but P.icarus and P. astrarche were becoming 

 fairly common when I left, all these being of the second brood. 

 Pararge egeria and P. megcera were common everywhere in the 

 woods and along the walls, and I saw a few battered specimens 

 of Melanargia galatea, Dryas paphia, and A. aglaia. I noted large 



