OF AN INSECT HUNTER. o5 



as the grouse shooter was provided with that article commonly 

 called a pocket pistol, containing mountain dew, we thought 

 we could not do better than seat ourselves on some large flat 

 stones by the stream, and diluting the mountain dew with the 

 mountain stream, refresh ourselves with the mixture. While 

 seated, and quietly smoking our cigars, (strike that out, Mr. 

 Editor, if you please,) numbers of a small black Telephorus 

 crawled over our clothes — I believe it is T. JEthiops ; and a 

 single specimen of that very common fly Eristalis vulpinus 

 hovered over us, and settled on a dry stone in the middle of 

 the tiny stream ; and this identical feat he persevered in for at 

 least fifty times ; at last I caught him in my bag-net, reasoned 

 with him on the risk he ran, and throwing him up in the air, 

 was amused to see him settle again on the very same stone. 



The sight, or even the vivid remembrance of particular spots, 

 brings to mind almost invariably particular conversations which 

 have occurred there. I well recollect a remarkable instance of 

 this. I travelled outside a coach, a journey of about thirty-five 

 miles, with a most agreeably talkative companion, and returned to 

 London with eleven other outsides, but perfectly alone. Well, 

 every morsel of the conversation was brought to mind at the 

 precise place at which it had been uttered. In the present 

 instance, the very circumstance of writing in this chit-chatty 

 way about the streamlet on the Black Mountain recalls more 

 forcibly to my mind a remarkable history which was related on 

 the spot by the grouse shooter : it was the history of the 

 Dragon of Mordiford, and will range more properly further 

 on. I will entitle a chapter " Legends of Lugge." 



The tale was told ; the Insect-Hunter and his companions 

 resumed their way and their occupation, and walked on and on 

 over the almost interminable mountain, leaving the heights of 

 Macnamara, with their snow-filled defiles, far to the right. 



We noticed frogs of an enormous size, exceeding by more 

 than one half any I have seen elsewhere ; the colours on their 

 backs were peculiarly varied and vivid, and beneath they were 

 beautifully red. Elater cupreus abounded occasionally on 

 tufts of long grass which marked the presence of some little 

 spring. There was no butterfly of any rarity from one end 

 of the mountain to the other; abundance of the little Pam- 

 philus, and occasionally a specimen of Napi, were all that 

 we saw. Geometra atomaria was flying in great abundance ; 



