i85 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



THE RAVENSCLIFF CAVE. 



In the admirable journal of the Derbyshire Archaeo- 

 logical and Natural History Society, referred to elsewhere, there 

 are two papers dealing with the Ravenscliff Cave, which are 

 written by Mr. A. Storrs Fox and Dr. C. H. Read respectively. 

 The cave overlooks Cressbrook Dale, Derbyshire, and has been 

 systematically excavated, with important results. Mr. Storrs 

 Fox gives an account of the geological discoveries, and Dr. Read 

 describes the relics of the Stone Age and Bronze Age which 

 were found, amongst the latter being a fine pair of curiously 

 corrugated gold bands, which Dr. Read considers are not unlikely 

 contemporary with the stone axes and flint flakes found at 

 Ravenscliff. The following is a satisfactory list of the 

 INIammalian, etc., remains found, the figure referring to the 

 number of objects (bones, teeth, etc.), obtained: — Man, 400 ; 

 Cat, 32 ; Dog (or Wolf), 87 ; Fox, 152 ; Badger, 13 ; Bear, 

 178 ; Ox, 131 ; Sheep and Goat, uncounted ; Deer, 48 ; Boar, 

 45 ; Horse, 9 ; Rhinoceros, 15 ; Hare, 57 ; Rabbit and Vole, 

 vincounted ; Bird (including i of Eagle), loi ; Frog and Toad, 

 uncounted. 



Pleheiiis argus var. Masseyi tutt. 



In Volume X. of Tutt's ' British Lepidoptera ' just issued, 

 northern lepidopterists will be specially interested in the 

 author's account of the well-known variety of Lycaena aegon 

 (the Plebeius argus of the book), which occurs so freely on the 

 ' mosses ' of Westmorland, and of the Lancashire border. 

 This striking ' race ' of the species was first recorded from 

 \\'itherslack, from captures made by the late Mr. J. B. Hodg- 

 kinson in 1856 ; and it was found in profusion by the same 

 collector at Whitbarrow Scarr in July 1861. Little was then 

 heard of it until 1892, when, as well as in the several following 

 j-ears, Mr. Massey of Manchester, again found it on the Wither- 

 slack mosses, and it has continued to be found in the district 

 ever since by those who have gone to look for it. 



Mr. Massey and Mr. Tutt came to the conclusion that it 

 was the same form as a Corsican race which Bellier had named 

 var. Corsica, and as such Mr. Massey recorded it, and by this 

 name it has until recently been known in Britain. Whilst 

 working out the material for his Vol. X., however, Mr. Tutt 

 saw that the Westmorland race clearly differed from the 

 Corsican form of the butterfly, and consequently it was neces- 



1910 May' I. ^ 



