NOTES ON COLLECTING. 253 



{Hesperia) comma or Ruralis (Thecla) betulae, both of which might 

 reasonably occur, as I feel certain that there is a larger list of butter- 

 flies to be obtained in this district than I have yet been able to 

 unravel. 



August 23rd. — To-day, in the Foret d'Hardelot, amidst high winds, 

 spells of sunshine and showers, collecting was at a discount. How- 

 ever, I secured a fine specimen of Gonepteryx rhamni (male), and I saw 

 a worn specimen of Dri/as j^aphia (female), making two more species 

 to add to my list as occurring in this district. I also secured three 

 females of P. megera in good condition, and a fine specimen of AHcia 

 medon (astrarche). These, with a couple of dragon-flies, were all I could 

 get on an unfavourable day. 



September 6th. — -The weather has been so atrociously bad since 

 my last entry that collecting has been brought to a standstill. How- 

 ever, to-day, in the Foret d'Hardelot, by the Pre Catalan, during about 

 an hour's sunshine, I found Pyrameis atalanta in some abundance; 

 also for the first time here I found Rumicia phlaeas fresh, and in some 

 numbers. They, together with the P. atalanta and a large number of 

 dragon-flies, and Pieris rapae and P. napi, were settling on a mass of 

 late flowers by a pond at the back of Pre Catalan behind the 

 restaurant. I got here what I think is a variety of Aglais urticae, a 

 number of Diptera, and one specimen each of the moths Ennomos 

 quercinaria [angularia) and Anaitis ■plagiata. completed the day's total. 

 The leaves are coming off the trees in such abnormal numbers for the 

 time of year that it is probably the earliest autumn we have had in 

 this respect for many years, especially remarkable after a particularly 

 late spring. 



September 11th. — To-day, at Pre Catalan, there is every sign of 

 the season drawing to its end. P. atalanta hangs on to the rapidly 

 diminishing flowers in great numbers, accompanied by a considerable 

 number of A. urticae. It is a remarkable fact that G. rhamni is 

 nowhere to be seen here this year, except the one male I took on 

 August 23rd. Rumicia phlaeas is quite numerous and I am looking 

 for varieties. Dragonflies of many hues, which I hope to name next 

 year, still swarm round the -ponds near Pre Catalan in the warm Sep- 

 tember sunshine. Larvae of Phalera bucephela are met with in the 

 Foret d'Hardelot on their walks across the roads, but the trees will 

 soon be leafless. To-day a fresh specimen of Colias edusa was taken 

 outside the Foret de Boulogne, by a young French entomologist, who 

 showed it to me. If I am spared, and am still stationed in this 

 neighbourhood next year, I intend to work this Foret (which is much 

 larger than the Foret d'Hardelot) throughout the season, though it is 

 difficult to reach in war time, as the tram service is almost abolished. 



September 17th. — To-day, at Pre Catalan, in dull, rainy weather, 

 I boxed a specimen of P. atalanta apparently just emerged, and 

 walking on to Hardelot I came across the spurge plant, FJuphorbia 

 cyparissias, on which I am told the larvae of the " Spurge Hawk Moth" 

 is to be found here in August. This plant is frequently met with on 

 the sand dunes round Hardelot. The larva pupates in the sand below 

 the foodplant, and I have got three chrysalides dug out from the sand. 

 I hope to write more about this species and other matters next year. — 

 E. B. AsHBY (F.E.S.), Hounslow. 



Lepidopteba of Guernsey in 1916. — Lepidoptera have been far 



