274 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ S RECORD. 
which skylarks rose and sang although just in front of our massed guns. 
that were firing incessantly. 
How incongruous! In many cases war has a fairly appropriate 
setting :—A rugged gorge, a barren plain, or even a mudflat, but surely 
it has seldom had a less appropriate terrain than this part of “La. 
Belle France ”’ with its smiling valleys and richly wooded slopes. 
In early August Papilio machaon displayed himself on several 
occasions during our marches. Of the Vanessids Aglais urticae was. 
very common ; and, in fact, throughout the year was almost daily in 
evidence. Three specimens hibernated in a room in a house which 
served as my abode for the last three months of last year. I noted 
that they moved their position slightly twice during this period. A 
Gonoptera libatrix rested within an inch of them, a careful sketching 
of their attitude and relative position makes me sure of this point. I 
visited the room in April of this year, and with the aid of a packing 
case and a rifle with fixed bayonet just managed to dislodge the 
G. libatrix from his position twelve foot or more above the floor. 
Curiously enough the specimen was undamaged, and is now in my 
collection. One of the A. urticae was dead, and one had disappeared. 
The house enjoyed out of doors temperature, as it lacked furniture, 
windows and window frames, and had other forms of ventilation, not 
seen in pre-war days. Hight A. urticae hibernated on the landing, one 
on the stair banister, but he is to be listed as ‘‘ accidentally killed ”’ 
by a despatch rider who leant against the banister. 
Of Vanessa io, Pyrameis atalanta and P. cardui, I have not seen 
more than a dozen specimens this year. Larve of V. io were fairly 
common last year. 
I took pupe of Eugonia polychloros from walls in August. Larvee 
of Abraxas grossulariata were common on hedges in July. 
In September Pieridae were common, especially fine specimens of 
Pieris brassicae, the larve of which swarmed in gardens, where often 
every cabbage was attacked and of the outer leaves only.a “ chevaux de 
frise” remained, and scores of larve of all sizes were to be seen. 
Turnip fields were ravaged in less degree, a dozen larvee full-fed were often 
to be seen chmbing an elm tree, but nearly every one was ichneumoned. 
and the yellow cocoons dotted the tree-trunks along the roads, and 
garden walls and fences, and even bedrooms. I have never seen such a 
plague in England, and it was worse than last year; when the inhabi- 
tants considered it a specially bad year. 
The ash trees supporting our horse lines at one village were much 
infested by Cossus ligniperda, and half grown larve often wandered 
about round the trunks, I took one, which spun a cocoon but was 
disturbed and escaped. Two days after, on donning a pair of slacks, 
on which I had Jain twice during slumber in order that the vitally 
important creases should persist, the missing larva was found quite 
vigorous in a pocket. The survival after this hazardous experience 
deservedly obtained “ sick leave” for him, and he again enjoys: 
freedom. 
Other larve seen on September 15th, were Pygaera bucephala, 
Amorpha populi, Sphinx ligustri, and a solitary Smerinthus ocellatus,. 
which underwent much shaking in a tobacco tin full of soil in an ambu- 
lance, during several marches, but safely pupated. 
The district seemed a most promising one for the entomologist. 
