BUTTERFLIES IN THE WYE VALLEY DURING 1906. 277 



in the vicinity I can remember the time when this butterfly was far 

 commoner than at present. I took a brood of the larvae on sallow 

 inside this place about four years since, but have never met with 

 another. In April of the year before last, two hibernated specimens 

 were brought me alive by my gardener's boy, but I have not seen this 

 insect at all in this neighbourhood since. 



Vanessa io. — A few years ago this insect, which formerly was 

 abundant about here every summer, seemed almost to have disappeared, 

 but, last August, it suddenly came back in surprising numbers. 

 Indeed, with the exception of Aglais urticae, it was the commonest of 

 all the Vanessids. It seems to have quite established itself, and this 

 July I found over 400 of the larvse feeding within fifty yards of my 

 house. 



Dryas paphia is still fairly common in woodland clearings, etc., 

 about here. I think that I have seen it more frequently than any 

 other of the Fritillaries. I have never come across the var. calezina. 



Argynnis adippe is, next to D. paphia, the most often met with 

 of its family. It seems still to be holding its own in the district, 

 though the country is being more and more cut up into small estates. 

 It was very abundant this summer on thistle heads, etc., on the 

 outskirts of a wood near here. 



Argynnis aglaia, I regret to say, I have not seen in this 

 neighbourhood for some years, but, though always a rare insect 

 hereabouts, I can remember the time when it was to be found. 



Brenthis euphrosyne is still far from uncommon about here. 



HippARCHiA semele is Very common wherever there is a patch of 

 heath-clad ground. 



BiTHYS QUERcus I have only met with once in a wood some 

 three miles distant from this house. 



Callophrys rubi is the only hairstreak which is at all abundant 

 here. 



Agriades corydon I have never seen about here, but it was 

 taken by Dr. Cruttwell. I suppose the specimen had strayed from the 

 chalk country about Guildford, which is only some ten miles away. 



Celastrina argiolus is, as might be expected from the fact that 

 both its foodplants are unusually common, the most noticeable of the 

 Lyctenids. 



CupiDO MINIMA was taken on a hill just outside this place by 

 Dr. Cruttwell, it does not seem to be at all common. 



Hesperia malv^ I once met with in some abundance, restmg on 

 the heads of some thistles in a field outside Eapley Farm, near here. 

 I have not often observed it in the neighbourhood. 



Nisoniades tages I have never taken or seen here myself, but 

 Dr. Cruttwell captured it quite close to this place. 



Butterflies in the Wye Valley during 1906. 



By. J. F. BIED. 

 When livmg in London, my father and I kept a record of the 

 lepidoptera seen by us each day, but gave up doing so in the country, 

 thinking it would be too great an undertaking. This year I again 

 started a daily record of the butterflies alone, the following being a 

 summary of those noted in the Wye Valley, between Tintern and 



