66 Transactions. 



season was a fine specimen of Colias edusa, which I found 

 on Carlaverock shore last autumn, near the place which is 

 known by the name of the Fishers' Thorn. Colias edusa is 

 a richly coloured insect, and is, perhaps, one of the most 

 nimble-winged of all the butterflies. None make up a finer 

 show in cabinet, and none but an experienced hunter need 

 ever attempt to take edusa on the wing. Should you miss 

 your first chance, pursuit is useless ; away goes Colias edusa 

 like an aerial spirit, up hill or down hill, all the same to her ; 

 the pursuer is soon left far behind. The Rev. Joseph Green, 

 in his Insect Hunter's Companion, gives such a good descrip- 

 tion of the chase, that I will give it in full : — " I see a strange, 

 and at first sight an unaccountable, spectacle : it is that of a 

 young man rushing frantically through a field of clover 

 under a burning sun. In his right hand is held aloft, and 

 brandished like a banner, a bag net. His hat is gone ; his 

 coat-tails are streaming behind him, and from the aforesaid 

 coat-tails proceed a strange and mysterious rattling as of 

 pill-boxes. About two yards in front of him is a bright 

 orange-coloured butterfly. His eyes are fixed with un- 

 deviating steadiness on that butterfly : it nears a lofty 

 hedge : one mighty effort — a vigorous sweep of the net : 

 Colias edusa sails calmly over the hedge, and the young col- 

 lector falls flat on his face." These little catastrophes will 

 happen, and not unfrequently ; nor is the slight, perhaps, 

 but inevitable, ruffling of temper produced by them much 

 calmed down by the encouraging remark from a cool and 

 unsympathizing bystander, of "go in and win," just when you 

 have lost. Several species of butterflies are so common with 

 us all the summer that they may be found in every lane and 

 in every garden, especially those two very domestic species, 

 Pieris brassice and Pieris rapoe. Mr Colman says that the 

 former species sometimes penetrates into the heart of smoky 

 London ; and that it is no unusual sight to see the young 

 street birds about St. Giles', whose eyes were never gladdened 

 by the sight of green fields, get up a butterfly hunt, with cap 

 (or rag) in hand, feel all the enthusiasm of the chase in pur- 



