248 THE entobiologist's record. 



parently emerging, and took two males and a female, all in splendid 

 condition. 



On the 22nd I left Bournemouth for a few days in the Isle of 

 Wight, where I observed C. edusa in some numbers flying on the rail- 

 way banks between Newport and Eyde. My observations were then cut 

 short by heavy rains and gales, which lasted for three days. Much 

 damage was done to fruit trees, and many large trees and branches 

 were blown down. 



On August 31st there was a strong south-west wind at Bourne- 

 mouth, and I only saw one male C. edusa flying strongly down wind. 



On September 3rd I saw three freshly emerged females feeding on 

 hawkweed, but did not have a chance to net them, as they were very 

 wary, and as they rose were carried away by the strong south-west 

 wind. I managed, however, to net a male freshly emerged. Contrary 

 to previous experience, the females outnumbered the males. 



The sun was not seen again until the 7th when it put in an appear- 

 ance in the afternoon, but in the morning I saw a male flying and feed- 

 ing on the railway bank at iSlew Milton, in fairly dull weather. This 

 is the only occasion on which I have seen the species on the wing when 

 sunshine has been absent. Hunger was no doubt the reason, after a 

 four days' fast. I went to the emerging field in the afternoon, but 

 though the sun was now shining brilliantly no edusa were flying, but I 

 was fortunate in walking up a freshly emerged male, with the black 

 bands of the wings covered with yellow scales, and on the underside of 

 the hindwing the two silvery discal spots with chocolate coloured 

 borders were very nicely radiated, the variety being very similar to the 

 one I took of C. hyale in 1911. 



The morning of the 8th was perfect, with a cloudless sky, a warm 

 sun, and not a breath of wind. It was the only perfect day we had had 

 since C. edusa was out, and when there was not half a gale blowing, so 

 I was out betimes, and in high spirits, on my way to the emerging field, 

 which was about 100 yards square. 



On arriving in sight of the field great was my disgust to find a 

 squadron of Eoyal Engineers feeding their horses over it, and they 

 quartered it very thoroughly, so that those insects emerging that were 

 not eaten were probably trampled to death. It was most annoying 

 because while I had permission from the owner to work the field, the 

 army had not, as the owner was expecting to cut a second crop in the 

 near future, and it was the only likely field in the neighbourhood, the 

 others being well farmed. However, I had to make the best of it, so 

 sat down and had an interesting chat with the men. I got no more C. 

 edusa from that field during my stay. My troubles were not over for 

 that morning, however. On my way back over a small piece of rough 

 ground, I saw two C. edusa wandering from flower to flower, and was 

 making for one of them when from behind a gorse bush appeared six 

 small boys from a local college, armed with nets, and seeing what I was 

 after they charged down with a war-whoop to " help " me. I had just 

 time to see that the insect I was after was a well-marked female, which 

 they succeeded in scaring so much that it went away for all it was 

 worth, the other one did likewise, but in a weak moment it stopped to 

 sip at a flower, and in that moment one of the boys got his net over it, 

 and the next was racing to me with the insect, a female, between his 

 finger and thumb. Great was his disgust to find it was no longer of 



