fnsects. P639 



sugaring if Mr. Smith O'Brien, with sufficient forces, were now en- 

 camped about five miles from your house, and the Duke of Cambridge 

 was marching down from Chester to attack him with equal numbers : 

 this is about our present position, and we lake it so coolly that it is 

 onlj' once a day we say " What are these fellows doing by this time ?" 

 Now if this Noclua turns out common and worthless I shall be dis- 

 gusted, and I protest beforehand against your reporting it a " common 

 but handsome insect." Pray how would Darwin account for that moth 

 getting a helmet, and a muff for his fore paws ? it is not cold here ; or 

 does he go at night "caterwauling" to Ruiz, whose snows are visible 

 hence. Or what advantage to self and family is the gold tracery on 

 the wings of the little Geometra in the pill-box, that he should obtain 

 the hereditary establishment thereof in his descendants ? Has the 

 vicinity of our silver mine anything to do with it ? or did the cater- 

 pillar feed on pyrites, with occasional nibbles of native silver ? 



June 20. I find mental anxiety and cares of business discourage me 

 from Entomology. This arises a good deal from the want of com- 

 panionship. Then it is so troublesome; one has to work in a narrow 

 road, or on rocks by a stream, tying up one's beast meanwhile out of the 

 way. I wish you could join me in a month's raid against the enemy; 

 I am very weary for want of society in this place. Entomology 

 requires company to be quite to my taste, and you catch more, 

 I think. If I could only fall heart and soul into this hobby, to some 

 extent, it would do me a power of good in keeping me more contented. 

 Having to dispatch a parcel to-morrow, and yesterday being the feast 

 of Corpus Christi, a strict holiday at the Mine, 1 resolved on an effort 

 in j^our favour, and pressed O'Reilly and Keanan into the service. We 

 spent the morning about the Mine, which is, so far as yet discovered, 

 the best locality. You will see the result : one hundred and twenty 

 specimens, which, in order to distinguish them, are put up in envelopes, 

 and go in a small cedar box separate. The day turned out badly ; a 

 hot sun was accompanied by much wind, and somehow the number 

 of insects on the wing was small. The quality may make amends 

 perhaps, for we got several new species — that is, new here: Proto- 

 gonius Hippona, Catagramma Opelii, C. Bromi (two or three speci- 

 mens) ; a new Leptalis ? and, moreover, a fellow so like Papilio 

 Zagreus that I am disgusted : he is put up in the store-box, as his fat 

 body would spoil in paper. Look at him; he certainly is what the 

 Chancery wigs would call "a colourable imitation" of P. Zagreus.* 



* The insect is an unnamed Castuia, wouclerfully simulaliug Papilio Zagreus in 

 marks and colouring. — E. B. 



