THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XVIL] JANUARY, 1884. [No. 248. 



THE MACRO-LEP1DOPTERA OF UNST. 



By J. Jenker Weir, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



(with coloured plate.) 



The British Isles, small as they are when compared with 

 some of the larger European countries, yet extend over almost 

 eleven degrees of latitude, viz., from 50° to nearly 61° N. lat. 



The South of Cornwall and the Scilly Isles are about 

 in the latitude of Dieppe, and the North of Shetland in that 

 of Bergen in Norway, and further north than Cape Farewell 

 in Greenland. 



Mr. McArthur last year (1883), from the latter part of May till 

 the beginning of September, collected insects in Unst, the most 

 northern of the Shetland Isles, between 60° and 61° N. lat., or 

 but little more than five and a half degrees from the Arctic circle. 

 In this high latitude it is quite unnecessary to use a lantern for 

 collecting in summer; the moths can be plainly seen on the 

 flowers at midnight without artificial light. The nocturnal species 

 fly from about 11.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m., the .period during which 

 they can be taken lasting but one hour, so that the entomologist 

 has to make the best use of his time. This Mr. McArthur 

 appears to have done ; and, taking every advantage of his 

 opportunities, has returned with a most interesting and valuable 

 series of Lepidoptera, which supplement those collected by him 

 on Mainland, of which descriptions were given by me in the 

 'Entomologist' for the year 1880, vol. xiii., pp. 249-251 and 

 289-292; and 1881, vol. xiv., pp. 278-281. 



The Entomologist.— Vol. XVII. Jan. 1884. b 



