110 OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



Such is a brief outline of the occurrence of this 

 insect in our own neighbourhood. But the same tale 

 might be told of almost every part of England. One 

 correspondent in the Entomologist knew of 1,500 

 captures in the district round Strood. The third 

 brood made provision for the present year, though 

 some we know hybernated. My friend took eggs off 

 the trefoil in November, hoping to rear some speci- 

 mens ; in this, however, he was unsuccessful. I 

 might mention here for the benefit of entomologists 

 a " wrinkle worth knowing" with regard to the mode 

 of capturing Edusa. I have it again from Mr. 

 Blackall's notes. Don't wait till mid-day when the 

 hot sun inspires the insect with unusual vigour, and 

 correspondingly depresses your own physical energies. 

 I assure you it is no joke racing over the Folkestone 

 Downs after it then, and especially when you have to 

 go up hill. You think perhaps that is a feat you 

 would not attempt for the sake of a specimen. Ah, wait 

 till you see Helice go by ; and with a loud exclamation 

 off you go ; up or down it is all one, you feel you 

 must have that specimen. It is to be hoped you may 

 get it, but whether you do or not you will want ten 

 minutes rest afterwards. The wise plan is to go out 

 early in the morning when the sun has just, only just, 

 driven off the dew. Edusa is rousing itself, and rising 

 lazily only to drop again a short distance ahead. 

 Mark the spot, walk up quietly and put your net 

 over it. 



And now we come to ask how we are to account for 

 the great abundance of tin's butterfly in 1877 a 

 year which has been alluded to as " one of the wettest 

 and most sunless years remembered for some time ?" 



