THE DISAPPEARING PARARGE #iGERIA. 113 
my younger days it was common.” Professor Meldola (Hntom., 1911, 
p. 146) discusses, ‘“‘ What has become of the British Satyridae Picasa af) 
says, “In the late sixties and early seventies, P. aegeria used to sun 
itself every year on the southern wall of our oarden at Leyton, and was 
fairly common in the Forest. I have not seen it in the latter district 
for more than 20 years.’ 
In the F’ntomologist’s Record, 1895, p. 229, C. Fenn, speaking of the 
gradual disappearance of Lepidoptera trom South. Eastern London and 
its neighbourhood— Lee, Lewisham, Eltham, Bexley, Chislehurst, etc., 
says, ‘‘P. aegeria . . seems to have quite disappeared from 
the Lee, Eltham and Bexley district.” 
The desinnatiion of woodlands, and the work of the suburban builder, 
are given as possible causes of this disappearance, but it may well be 
that there are other agencies at work. Was P. aegeria ever “common 
everywhere”? Ince (Hntom., 1887, p. 236) says that in Monmouth- 
shire the species is not common. Pearce (Hntom., 1890, p. 280) says, 
that near Portsmouth, “it is local and rarely common.” Robertson 
(Entom., 1898, p. 181 says that at Swansea “it was scarce in 1892.” 
Grove (Hntom., 1895, p. 151), of Guildford, says. “local, not common.” 
Imms says (Hntom., 1898, p. 48), of Birmingham district, “ getting 
scarce.’ Kemp says (Hntom., 1899, p. 260), at Swanage it occurred 
“in one wood only.” Forsyth says (Hntom. Record, 1905, p. 87), at 
Witherslack, ‘‘ now extinct.” 
It would appear, therefore, that even in the West of England the 
tenure of this insect was somewhat precarious. 
Again, the life-history is somewhat unusual. It is stated to have 
normally three or even four broods in the year. Some entomologists 
affirm that it may be stated to be continuously brooded during the open 
months of the year. It is stated to hybernate normally in the pupal 
stage. It may be that uncertainty of climatic conditions would 
threaten a delicately balanced constitution, and that in the eastern part 
of England these conditions endanger the race at a certain period. An 
unusually warm spell of weather in the winter might tempt the imago 
to emerge too early—-a repetition of these conditions might well be 
ruinous. It is evident that the western parts of Hingland suit the 
constitution of the insect, for it still maintains itself there. 
For it appears from the records that it is from the eastern portions 
of England that this disappearance has been most marked. It has I 
believe been suggested that there is a continuous general shift of insect 
life from east to west, following the sun. This might apply to day- 
flying species, which would be enticed westward day by day. 
There arises now the question whether the insect was ever general 
in the eastern and south-eastern counties of England. Ihave extracted 
from the Hntomoloyist, the Hntomoloyist’s Record, etc., a number of 
records which, allowing for carelessness or inadvertance on my part, 
may serve to show that perhaps this part of the country never was 
closely covered by P. aegeria. 
Of 129 records (rejecting as far as may be duplicates) I find between 
1856 and 1913 only 18 distinctly eastern localities, and some of them 
are a little favoured by inclusion, viz., 8. Osyth, near Eastbourne, near 
ily, Chinnor, Amersham, Monkswood, Liacoln, Guildford, Dover, 
Reigate, Dorking, Felixstowe, West Suffolk, Buckinghamshire, Hastings, 
North Kent, Loughton, West Surrey. 
