68 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



donned my waterproof suit and decided to ride through it, the clouds 

 cleared, and it was then pleasant travelling, and at length I reached 

 Polzeath. I was told the name was originally Hayle, and it was 

 altered because the people would insist on pronouncing it as if it was 

 the infernal regions. I found the lady was " full up," and I had to 

 search elsewhere. The next Cove, Trebetherick, contained a boarding- 

 house, principally used by golfers, but was then almost empty, and 

 Mr. Buse, the landlord, made me very comfortable, the menage was 

 excellent, and the charges were very moderate. There are only two 

 or three more houses in the place, and these are farms. The spot is 

 really just at the mouth of the river Camel (from which Camelford 

 takes its name). A few minutes' walk brought me down to the 

 sea (or river, whichever one likes to call it). It seemed an ideal 

 spot for "sugaring" — there was a row of posts, also sand-hills, and 

 a field of thistles and ragwort— and I decided to give it a trial 

 the same evening ; but, alas, the only thing I took out of the 

 common was Agrotis valligera, one specimen ; Leucania conigera, 

 L. lithargyria, and, of course, the ubiquitous Xylophasia polyodon 

 were plentiful. 



The next day I decided to search for Mr. Gibbs's spot, so fully 

 described, as before stated ; having discovered it, I decided to work 

 it the same evening. I may say along the road during the afternoon 

 I discovered a wing of Agrotis lunigera in a spider's web, so I knew 

 one of the moths which I hoped to get was about. I had never 

 taken this species, although I had tried Freshwater for it, but Mr. 

 A. J. Hodges told me the time of appearance given by Newman is 

 incorrect, and that is probably the reason why I had never captured 

 the insect. I took but one specimen of lunigera that night. I think 

 the place must have altered considerably since Mr. Gibbs was there ; 

 there are very few posts, and they are across a ditch and much over- 

 grown with foliage. The other Leucanias I have mentioned appeared 

 again. The next night I was more successful, and secured three 

 lunigera ; altogether I captured seven during my stay. I saw nothing 

 of Neuria saponaria, Hadena adusta, and Tri-phana interjecta ; never 

 having previously taken these species, I was naturally disappointed. 

 Mr. Gibbs thinks a house is now built on the spot where he used to 

 get them. M. rivata and E. viensuraria were netted. I was 

 detained a whole week by the English weather (I won't say climate). 

 An American, on being asked what he thought of our English 

 climate, replied, " I guess you ain't got ho climate, it's all weather," 

 and this is generally true so far as my experience goes. 



The first fine sunny day I rose at seven, and cycled to St. Ives. 

 As this article is for a scientific journal, I must not give too much 

 of what, for want of a better appellation, I may call " domestic " 

 news. I will then not give details of the very pleasant 'spin over the 

 moors, up hill and down dale, in the fifty-five miles' spin to St. Ives. 

 At Hayle Bay the sand-hills are enormous, reminding one of the 

 Boulogne-Abbeville route. Large quantities of red valerian and wild 

 flowers are found along the cliffs at St. Ives, but I netted nothing of 

 importance. Delayed a few hours next day by the weather again, I 

 was late in leaving for Land's End; I found a comfortable hotel 

 there, and a landlord that Charles Dickens might have made use of . 



