Terrestrial Zoology of the Faroes. 157 



the Faroes. I found it common in the Hebrides, including 

 the St Kilda group, last year (1902) ; and I also found Orthezia 

 {Newsteadia) floccosa in the same localities, but it was less 

 common than 0. cataphracta. Its usual habitat is among 

 moss, or dead leaves and d6hris. 



OETHOPTERA. By Nelson Annandale, B.A. 



I am pretty certain that the only Orthopteron occurring 

 in the Faroes is the common earwig, Forficula auricidaris, 

 which is extremely abundant in all the islands I have visited. 

 Even introduced cockroaches appear to be absent. Both on 

 Naalsoe and in the neighbourhood of Thorshavn the two 

 forms of F. aitricularis distinguished by Bateson (" Materials 

 for the Study of Variation," p. 40) occur, but the " high " 

 males (Stevens' species forcipata) are very much more scarce 

 than the " low " (the typical variety). Out of hundreds 

 of specimens examined in 1903, not more than two, which 

 were taken near the sea under a single stone, could be 

 definitely assigned to the variety forcipata. Several specimens 

 which partook of an intermediate character were observed in 

 both localities. The young broods are about three-quarters 

 grown at the beginning of August. The species occurs both 

 under stones in cultivated ground, in the houses, and, rather 

 less frequently, on the moors. In June it is common in the 

 flowers of the marsh marigold {Calthra palustris). 



F. auricularis is recorded by Landt (" Description of the 

 Feroe Islands," p. 260), also by Hansen (vide postea). 



LEPIDOPTERA. By Nelson Annandale, B.A. 



Only one species (and one specimen) of butterfly has been 

 recorded from the Faroes, and that was the notorious vagrant 

 Vanessa car dui (Hansen, Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift, 3 Erekke, 

 13 Bind, 1881, pp. 229-278). There can be little doubt that 

 this individual was a visitor from the British Isles or the 

 Continent, as Mr Eagle Clarke's recent observations {Ent. 

 Mo. Mag., vol. xiv. pp. 289, 290) appear to show that 

 the species is quite able to cross the German Ocean. The 

 journey to the Faroes wovdd, however, be almost four timea 



