NOTES. CAPTURES, ETC. 91 



beginner, taking between sixty and seventy species so near 

 home, in such a locality, and in an acknowledged bad season, 

 ought to act as a relief to our despair, and a spur to further 

 exertions in more suitable places during the coming collecting 

 season. — T. "VV. Hall; New Square, Lincoln's Inn, Jan 8, 1884. 



A Bank Holiday in 1883 amongst Lepidoptera in Cam- 

 bridgeshire. — At this time of the year reminiscences of the past 

 and anticipations of the future occupy no small portion of our 

 time and thoughts. It is of the former that is suggesting the 

 following little account of a most enjoyable day spent last 

 August in my native county. Rather late in the forenoon I 

 approached, in company with a young enthusiast, the scene for 

 an instructive and pleasurable day of observation amongst the 

 Lepidoptera of our county. On the slopes and flats of a some- 

 what down-like country our attention was drawn to the luxuriance 

 of Galium in full flower, and presenting a most attractive appear- 

 ance. We had not proceeded far before specimens of Lycana 

 coryclon appeared in rapid succession. We were soon at work, 

 and before long found that we had been fortunate in capturing 

 good specimens of the following: — L. coryclon, Satyrus semele, 

 S. tithonus, Polyommatus phlceas, Hesperia comma, Eubolia 

 bipunctata, E. lineolata, Fidonia atomaria, Leucania comma. 

 The principal notes of observation I made were these : — That 

 E. bipunctata invariably flew in pairs, and generally amongst a 

 flight of L. coryclon, making it at first a little difficult to 

 distinguish them ; but being stronger and more rapid on the 

 wing we were soon alive to them, and successful in our captures. 

 Next I noticed that several of H. comma were infested with a 

 brilliant scarlet parasite, in appearance, and in form like a lady- 

 bird. I kept a few specimens in glass-topped boxes, and found 

 that the merciless parasites before long relinquished their prey, 

 under the influences of their unexpected confinement. — Harold 

 Archer ; The Close, Ely, January, 1884. 



Gonepteryx rhamni and its Food-plants. — Mr. Sladen's 

 experience of Gonepteryx rhamni by no means coincides with 

 mine. Here, in East Cheshire, Rhamnus catharticus is by no 

 means common, and R. frangula is only grown in a few gardens; 

 but the scarcity of Rhamnus is much exceeded by that of 

 Gonepteryx. During about fifteen years' collecting in this 



