THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 173 
fritillary of some kind. I told the circumstance to Parry, of 
this town, who showed me two fair specimens that he had 
taken at the same spot (I may add, there is no collusion 
between us, only we both possess the knowledge of this 
locality), and he told me he thought they were Niobe, ora 
new fritillary. They were thought, however, to be but a 
variety of Adippe. This year I was again too late to see the 
first of the males: my impression is they are out the end of 
May, and the females a month later, or less, perhaps. The 
female sent to Mr. Doubleday had just emerged when I took 
it, whilst the males I have are much worn, and Aglaia males 
bright and fresh, and no female Aglaia. The locality is a 
huge rent, caused at some remote time by a convulsion of 
Nature, with almost perpendicular sides, and covered with 
long grass, amidst which peep out the flowers of the wild 
heart’s-ease, which grow here in great profusion. Upon these 
steepy slopes, where an alpen-stock would not be despised 
by any but an entomologist, fly Aglaia, but not Niobe. At 
the bottom of this trough, which is no more than a few yards 
wide, grows a kind of rush, and there, within a confined area, 
is to be found Niobe,—and very few, alas, indeed. Their 
flight is unmistakably different from Aglaia: they hover with 
an Athalia-like movement amongst the rushes, and fly with 
even greater rapidity than Aglaia; but, as a thistle-head will 
lure back a Paphia, so some herbage attraction (or otherwise) 
amongst the rushes brings them back to the same spot, and 
so they are captured. The female [ took did not offer to fly ; 
and my man, who collects for me and has taken another, tells 
me the same thing. In conclusion, let me add that the 
entomologist, when taking his yearly outing, would do well 
to work the neighbourhood of Wye and Ashford; and if he 
does not succeed in finding the haunt of Niobe, he will not 
for want of sport leave it “all tears;” and I can answer (with 
favourable weather) that he will take insects commonly here 
that occur elsewhere as rarities —W, Wigan; Canterbury. 
Argynnis Niobe a British Insect.—Yesterday morning, 
just before I was leaving town, I received from Mr. G. Parry, 
of Canterbury, a living specimen of this butterfly taken the 
day before, and a request that I should come down on the 
following Friday, when he would take me to the place of its 
capture, that I might see and take it myself, and thus confirm 
