XXIV. 



Yarious kinds of butterflies are remarkable for their periodical or irregular 

 appearance. Of these, the species of Colias or Clouded Yellows, the Painted 

 Lady, and the Camberwell Beauty are pre-eminent; thus the last-named will 

 not be seen for eight, ten, or more years, according to Mr. Haworth, and 

 then will appear as plentifully as before, indeed in 1789 it occurred in such 

 profusion as to obtain the name of the " Grand Surprise ;; from the Aurelians 

 of that time. In 1872, it also occurred all over the country. 1877 will be 

 remembered as the great " Clouded Yellow year," and in 1879 the Painted 

 Lady absolutely swarmed. In the autumn of 1872, the Bath White and the 

 Queen of Spain were also taken freely on the Kentish coast. 



None who live in the country can be ignorant of their existence. From 

 the first sunny days in February or March, when the Brimstone emerges 

 from its winter's retreat, to chilly November when we see the Red Admiral 

 feasting on the ivy bloom, they are always before us. In gardens we find 

 Brimstones and White, an occasional Meadow Brown, Peacocks, and Tor- 

 toise-shells, Painted Ladies and Red Admirals, Blues and Small Coppers. 

 In lanes we find, in addition to these, several species of Browns, and per- 

 haps the Fritillaries, Hair-streaks, and Skippers. The Purple Emperor, 

 White Admiral, and most of the Fritillaries require to be sought i'or in 

 woods ; and the Marble W T hite, some of the Blues, and one of the Skippers 

 (Hesperia comma] on chalk downs. The Swallow-tail, although gone from 

 most parts of England, is still to be found in the fens of the Eastern 

 Counties. The Clouded Yellows frequent meadow, lucerne, and clover fields 

 on the South Coast in autumn ; and the Lulworth Skipper occurs on the 

 coasts of Dorset and Devonshire. If WQ visit the North of England and 

 Scotland, we shall find the two species of Erebia and Cononympka typhon on 

 the mountains and moors ; and the latter country enjoys almost the exclusive 

 privilege of supplying Lyccena Artaxerxes to our collections ; the variety 

 occurring occasionally with the type on the Durham coast also. Heaths are 

 frequented by Satyrus Semele and Lyccena <&Lgon. Although some of our 

 butterflies are exceedingly local, only six are very rare with us, viz. : Pieris 

 Daplidice or Bath White, Argynnis Lathonia or Queen of Spain, Chryso- 

 pJianus Lispar or Large Copper (an extinct species), Polyomm,atus Ads or 

 Mazarine Blue, P. Argiades and P. Bceticus. 



