66 Transactions. 



gical journals are crowded with notices of its unexpected 

 occurrence, mostly accompanied with the remark " not seen 

 here for five, ten, or twenty years," as the case might be. 

 In our own district the first one was seen by Mr Gibson on 

 3rd June. Two or three days afterwaicls I was told that 

 some yellow Butterflies had been seen at Priestlands and 

 Mabie. Following that, Mr Lennon came with the startling 

 intelligence that he had captured Colias Edusa. Then, on 

 the 9th June, I was near the Newabbey road, early in the 

 afternoon, when a Butterfly flew over the hedge and settled 

 on a Dandelion flower. One glance was sufficient, there was 

 Udusa glittering in its golden raiment, the first I had ever 

 seen alive. There was an unwonted trembling in my limbs, 

 and a thumping in my chest, as I advanced on the uncon- 

 scious insect with the stealthy creep of a cat, hat in hand, 

 for I had no other weapon. The aim was correct, Edusa 

 ■was underneath, and quicker than ever it was done before, 

 my coat was cast off and thrown ov(3r the hat to make all 

 secure. 



I need not tell you how head and shoulders were cau- 

 tiously inserted beneath the coat tails, or how the passers by 

 stared at the strange proceedings, and how one man turned 

 away, as I bore off my prize in triumph, muttering with an 

 expression of most intense disgust, "It's only a butterflee !" 



However, I had soon an opportunity of seeing and 

 capturing more of this beautiful creature, and had ample 

 facilities of verifying the observation that " he who would 

 capture Edusa in its lively flight lias need of the seven league 

 })oots, with the hand of Mercury to ensure his success." 



During June a number were seen, and a few captured, 

 and over the whole of Galloway, excepting the higher por- 

 tions, it was seen in fair nuiiibers. At Arbigland it was 

 almost equally plentiful with the Common Whites, and 

 seems to have been plentiful along the coast fields as far as 

 Auchencairn. Those who were at the Colvend Field Meet- 

 ing will remember the three or four we saw then. During 

 June it was seen also throughout Dumfriesshire, I believe 



