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LEPIDOPTERA OF HEREFORDSHIRE. 



^ BY MR. ALFRED PURCHAS. 



In the few years in which I have studied Entomology in this district I 

 have met with very fair success, and have reason to believe that Hereford- 

 shire, although not producing many of the very rare or local species, is 

 exceedingly rich in the more common Lepidoptera. In butterflies (Diurni) 

 especially, the commoner species of which abound in o'jr woods, lanes, and 

 banks, and help, by their gay and gladsome appearance, to render our county 

 80 attractive to the tourist. We have the beautiful Peacock, Tortoiseshell, 

 Sulphur, Speckled-wood, Large FritiUary, and the delicate Orange-tip, and 

 Small-blue, abundant every year. The handsome Red Admiral, Comma, and 

 Painted-lady are also often abundant : the latter was remarkably so in the 

 summer of 1865. Of the more rare buttei flies, the Wood- white is to be met 

 with in Penyard. The Holly- blue. Large Tortoiseshell, the Ringlet, and the 

 Pearl- bordered FritiUary are of frequent occurrence. The Grayling is also 

 to be met with in the northern parts of the county. Of the commonest species 

 it is needless to make any remark. With the Garden-whites most of us, 

 especially those who have town gardens, are only too familiar, and the 

 Meadow-browns are everywhere abundant. Of the whole 65 British species I 

 have as yet taken 30 in this county. The Rev. Mr. Hutchinson, of Grantsfield, 

 near Leominster, has added 9 to this number. The remaining 26 are either 

 very local, or so rarely occur in England, that I have never even hoped for a 

 better representative in my cabinet, than a foreign specimen. Of the cater- 

 pillars of the buttei flies, very little is as yet known, save of the Garden- 

 whites, Tortoiseshell, and some few others. 



The butterflies are the only division of the Lepidoptera that attract the 

 attention of ordinary observers, and consequently form the grand staple of all 

 rudimentary collections, from the schoolboys' half-dozen Small-bluea, Sulphurs, 

 and Garden-whites, upwards. 



It is a common mistake to class all bright-coloured Lepidoptera as 

 buttei flies. This is very far from correct, as we have hundreds of most 

 beautifully-coloured moths (Nocturni), presenting every variety of shade, 

 which, from their being mostly night-iliers, generally escape the observation 

 of all but the scientific hunters for them. 



The first division of motiis contains the large Hawk moths, the Burnett, 

 and Clear-wings. The Poplar-hawk, the Privet, and the Eyed-hawk appear 

 to be at times rather plentiful. The Lime-hawk also occurs sometimes. The 

 Death's-head, too, our largest moth, in some seasons is quite common in the 

 caterpillar state. In 1865, owing to the very long summer, it was remarkably 

 abundant. Its handsome violet-spotted grub was frequently seen feeding 



