THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 137 



he was not wanting in courage to defend against the attacks 

 of the small tortoiseshell (Urticae), the peacock (lo), or the 

 glorious red admiral (Atalanta), and in truth the pride of 

 August. 



' Towards noon the sun became intensely hot, so we were 

 glad to avail ourselves of the shadow of friendly trees, where 

 the heat disturbed many Geometers and other moths. In the 

 evening we again visited the spot, and were rewarded by 

 taking Pectinitaria, Olivata (in great abundance), Bipunctata, 

 and Sobrinata, among the juniper bushes; Emarginata, 

 tolerably common; Rhamnata, Dubitata, Hamula, Repan- 

 data, Complanula, Amataria, Trilinea, and others. Not 

 having sugaring apparatus with us, we took very few Noctuae, 

 only netting Batis, Triplasia, Tragopogonis, and a few other 

 common ones. 



Judging from our great success, it is natural to suppose 

 that other species of butterflies must visit the wood in the 

 earlier part of the summer; and 1 think it highly probable 

 that, if I can revisit it at various seasons, 1 shall come across 

 at least one-half of the British butterflies, and a very large 

 portion of British moths, — a luxury shared by very few 

 localities. 



Thomas P. Lucas. 



160, Kennington Road, Lambeth. 



Scarcity of Insects at South Shields. — I have collected on 

 the coast here for many years, but never before observed 

 such a scarcity of insects as has been the case with the 

 spring species, our coast having, up to the present time, been 

 entirely barren : not a single moth has been taken either by 

 sugar or other means. We considered the spring of 1871 a 

 poor one, through the cold, damp, ungenial months ; but we 

 have double reason to complain this season, when our most 

 abundant moths have been entirely wanting. There is also a 

 great decrease of the early-feeding larvae: for instance, — the 

 caterpillars of Filipendulse, having always been excessively 

 abundant on the broken declivities of the cliff's, are to be seen 

 in much less numbers, and are considerably smaller than I have 

 previously observed them at this season ; while the larvae of 

 Caja are more numerous and better fed up than last year, yet 



