FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 203 



of the small Tortoiseshell, which often hibernates in churches, that 

 I cannot help thinking the records may refer to that species. I 

 am not prepared to say that the Painted Lady does not hibernate 

 in this country, but the fact has been seriously questioned and 

 there can be no doubt that large immigrations occasionally take 

 place in the spring. 



Very few observers notice the currant or magpie moth, which 

 is an abundant and unmistakable species appearing in June or 

 July. 



The dates of the flowers show a most striking difference from 

 those given in 1894 ; for up to June all the earliest Dorset records 

 are later, frequently about a month later than in 1894, whereas in 

 and after June they are considerably earlier than in 1894. This is 

 also the case to a less noticeable extent with the insects. These facts 

 would suggest that the migratory birds are not influenced by tho 

 temperature in this country, they having been, as above mentioned, 

 earlier in arriving than in 1894, in contradistinction to the spring 

 plants, which, doubtless owing to the weather, were considerably 

 later. Not knowing the state of the weather further south in the 

 early part of 1895, I cannot do more than suggest this as a point 

 for the consideration of anyone who has the time and opportunity 

 to investigate it. 



The following note, entitled " Jottings on Insect Life in Purbeck 

 and Neighbourhood in 1895," has been sent by Mr. E. R. 

 Bankes : 



" As regards insect life in 1895, I was able to do only a small amount 

 of collecting and observation, but the season seemed to be a most peculiar 

 one, some species being exceptionally plentiful, whilst numbers of them 

 were much scarcer than usual or only conspicuous by their apparent 

 absence. On the whole, the Lepidoptera seemed but poorly represented : 

 of Colias edusa* (the "Clouded Yellow "), which was common in some 

 parts of the South Coast, I was disappointed to see only seven specimens, 

 but Vanessa atalanta (the " Red Admiral ") abounded, whilst from the 

 beginning of September onwards Phisia gamma (the " Silver Y moth ") 



* Only one specimen of Colias edusa noted during 1895, viz., on 

 August 18th, at Chickerell (N, M. E.). 



