Lepidoptera near Wit ham, Essex. 601 



appearance, and bear a fancied resemblance to a bracelet ; yet 

 so delicate was their connexion, that their own weio-ht, and 

 the force of the falling water when raised in a landing net, 

 seldom left many pieces together. Each portion presented a 

 dark purple spot at one extremity, with a still darker spark in its 

 centre, from which proceeded two pinkish-coloured branches, 

 to unite at the other extremity. The animals continued float- 

 ing on the sea, till, a breeze suddenly springing up, they sank. 

 For several days preceding we had observed much phosphores- 

 cence, with light s. and s. w. winds : it is, in fact, to the Py- 

 rosoma, Salpae, and other allied genera, that phosphorescence 

 is chiefly ascribable; yet the greatest degree to which I have 

 seen it prevail was in the absence of any animals of this kind ; 

 at least, of such a size as to be detected without powerful magni- 

 fiers, and on a cursory examination. On this occasion, we 

 had, however, proofs of its depending on some form of animal- 

 cula ; since, during the day, the sea had the green and dirty 

 appearace which we observe in shallow water ; very different 

 from its deep blue transparency when out of soundings. It 

 was in the Atlantic, in the latitude of the Cape de Verd Islands, 

 and continued several nights; the ship appearing to traverse a 

 sea of fire; the flashes of light thrown up by the spray being 

 sufficient to illuminate the deck and rigging, though the ab- 

 sence of the moon, and the thickness of the weather, would 

 otherwise have caused the nights to be dark. 

 August 17. 1837. 



Art. VIII. List of Lepidopterous Insects, found in the Neigh- 

 bourhood of Withaniy Essex. By Edward H. Burnell, Esq. 



I have sent a list of some of the principal lepidopterous 

 insects, taken in this neighbourhood, for your Magazine, 

 should you consider it worth insertion. The only thing that 

 induces me so to do is, the fact that this spot is quite neg- 

 lected by all but a very few resident entomologists ; and the 

 list may be interesting to some of your Essex readers, if to 

 no others. It is as perfect as I can make it, as far as 

 Papiliones, Sphingina, and Bombacina are concerned ; while 

 only a few of the species of the remaining divisions are 

 noticed. 



papiliones. P6ntia n ^ pi> 



Gonepteryx rhamni. Mancfpium cardamines. 



Pontia brassicae. Leucophasia loti. Rather scarce, 



rapa. Melitae x a Athalia. Two specimens 



