RHOPALOCERA IN THE GUILDFORD DISTRICT. 15l 



Of the preliminary stages I have had scarcely any experience, 

 having hred only the very common species, such as Pieris hrassicce, 

 P. rapce, Vanessa urticce, V. io, &c. 



The chief geological formations in this district (from 

 north to south, the newest to the oldest) are : — I. Lower 

 Bagshot Sand. II. London Clay, with patches of drift 

 gravel. III. Chalk (on which the town itself stands) ; the 

 highest part of the chalk range is, in some places, capped 

 with sand and gravel, which are in most cases covered with 

 woodland, thus presenting a great contrast to the tracts of bare 

 down which surround them. IV. Lower Greensand (Folkestone 

 and Hythe beds). There is a large inlier of Atherlield and 

 Wealden Clay in this formation ; it forms a tract of low ground 

 — much of it marshy and uncultivated — about five miles long 

 and two wide, but it is to a great extent covered by river-gravel, 

 &c., accumulated by the Wey, which runs in a north-easterly 

 direction through it, and also through the whole district. 



Pieris bnissiae. Very common. Some years abundant ; but not so 

 common as usual in 1893, and very rare in 1894. — P. rapa;. Very 

 common every year. First seen in 1894, March 27th. — P. iiajn. 

 Very common ; but not so abundant as raj^a. 



PucJiloe cardauiines. Very common in most years, but rather scarce 

 and late in 1894 ; not seen before May 3rd. 



Colias edusa. Fairly common in August and September, 1892, in 

 clover fields east of the town. Not seen before or since. 



Gonopteryx rhaiitni. Not very common. I have never seen more 

 than twenty or thirty specimens in one season, and some years only a 

 few. Rare in 1894. 



Argynnis euphrosyne. Common, but local in woods. Out very 

 early in 1893 ; first seen April 19th. Eather late and not common in 

 1894; first specimen seen May 4th. — A. aglaia. One female speci- 

 men captured August 6th, 1893. 



Vanessa polychloros. Rare. One specimen, August 3rd, 1885 ; 

 another, June 11th, 1886; and a third, March 10th, 1893; also two 

 in 1894, on March 30th and April 2nd. — V. urtictv. Abundant every 

 year. I bred some hundreds of this species in 1893. A few varied 

 slightly in ground colour and in the size of the black markings, but I 

 did not obtain anything remarkable. — V. io. Fairly common in most 

 years ; but only a very few seen in 1893, and none in 1894. I have 

 bred a large number of this species at various times, but beyond a 

 slight variation in size they were all strictly typical. — V. atalanta. 

 Rather commoner than the last species. The variety with the red 

 band on the fore wings, nearly divided a little below the middle, is as 

 common as the type in this district. A specimen was taken at treacle 

 about 9 p.m., August 23rd, 1886. — V. cardui. Not common, and not 

 regular in appearance. A few specimens seen most years in August 

 and September ; sometimes commoner in May or June after hyberna- 

 tion. None seen in 1893, and only one in 1894. 



Pararye egeria. Not common, and local in woods. There are at 

 least two broods in the year, and I think sometimes three, if not four, 



