( Ixxxviii ) 



Two factors, I think, may explain in a measure the reason 

 of the amazing abundance of lepidopterous life ; first, com- 

 plete hibernation, and secondly, the comparative scarcity of 

 small birds, owing to the number of birds of prey, — buzzards 

 in particular, and day-flying owls. 



The moths I have brought here were taken chiefly in the 

 ravines, and the long stretch of uncultivated land bordering 

 the railway line. Out of the 31 species of Heterocera taken 

 12 occur in Britain, viz. Malacosoma castrensis, Heliothis 

 dipsacea, H. scutosa, H. peltigera, Emmelia trahealis {sulphur- 

 alts), Thalpochares paula, Acidalia similata (perochraria) 

 commonly, A. marginepunctata (promutaria), Ematurga ato- 

 maria (an undescribed form), Boarmia consortaria, Phlyctae- 

 nodes verticalis and P. sticticalis. That rarity in Britain, 

 H. scutosa, was excessively abundant flying in the hot sun- 

 shine in marshy ground. That beautiful genus Acontia, of 

 which we have only one representative in Britain, luctuosa, 

 was well represented in titania and lucida. I took but one 

 example of that beautiful species Thalpochares purpurina, 

 and T. parallela, an eastern species, deserves mention, as also 

 Euclidia triquetra, allied to our E. mi. One was not surprised, 

 with the ground carpeted with Artemisia, to find Etichloris 

 smaragdaria (v. volgaria), a variety according to Staudinger, 

 but Mr. Prout considers volgaria a good species. Siona 

 nubilaria v. exalbata, another eastern species, was extremely 

 local and occurred in only one ravine, where it was very 

 abundant. Phasiane glarearia and Eubolia arenacearia oc- 

 curred singly ; Aspilates mundataria was generally distributed ; 

 Phlyctaenodes sulphuralis occurred singly; but P. verticalis, 

 P. sticticalis and Cledeobia connectalis were common. That 

 beautiful Pyrale, P. clathralis, was by no means scarce ; 

 Syntomis phegea occurred singly., and so did that beautiful 

 species Macroglossa croatica. 



Lycaenids showing some degree of Gynandro- 

 MORPHiSM. — Dr. E. A. Cockayne exhibited : — 



(a) Thirty-eight gynandromorphous Agriades corydon from 

 Royston. One, taken in 1910 by the Rev. G. H. Raynor, 

 has the right fore-wing very minute but thickly sprinkled 

 with blue scales, and amongst them eight audrocouia were 



