﻿14 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A SUMMER'S MOTHING ON DARTMOOR. 



By Major John N. Still. 



It seems surprising that so few people know anything of this 

 most lovely and interesting part of the country. Unique in itself 

 Dartmoor possesses very many advantages over other summer 

 resorts : the air has been described as the purest and strongest 

 in England. Its Tors, of which the highest is Yes Tor (2050 ft.), 

 and the immense extent of the moor, give the visitor that sense 

 of freedom which is only felt in mountainous districts. 



To the antiquary, naturalist, botanist, and entomologist, 

 Dartmoor will always be interesting, and, as a humble collector 

 of Lepidoptera, I give my experience of collecting, and a list of 

 the captures I made during the past summer on the Moor, at 

 from 700 to 2000 feet above the sea. 



During the wet weather which prevailed the latter part of 

 April, 1889, I only took Xylocampa areola (lithoriza). On the 

 1st of May I got some specimens of Lobophora carpinata (lobu- 

 lata), and, after another spell of wet, Melanippe galiata, Coremia 

 ferrugata, C, unidentata, C. designata, and Rumia luteolata. 

 During the end of the month Tephrosia crepuscularia was nume- 

 rous in the fir woods, and I took also Venilia macularia, Odonto- 

 pera bidentata (abundant), Tephrosia punctulata, Bapta temerata, 

 and Hepialus humuli (abundant). Sugar was of little use, and, 

 although I sugared from April to November almost continually, 

 I found it very unproductive till late in September. I took 

 Eupithecia lariciata, E. subfulvata, E. nanata, Macaria liturata, 

 Adela cuprella, and C. viridella. 



When I first came to the neighbourhood my expectations 

 were raised to the utmost by hearing wonderful accounts of the 

 swarms of moths attracted by rhododendron blooms, and of the 

 good collection made in 1888 over the same ground. This year, 

 although we had masses of rhododendrons in bloom, they pro- 

 duced next to nothing. During June honeydew reigned supreme, 

 and literally covered every tree, plant, and shrub. I worked the 

 rhododendrons at and after dusk, and only took the following : — 



Xylophasia rurea, Hadena rectilinea, Cucullia umbratica, Chcerocampa 

 porceltus, and Dianthcecia cucubali. By day, Eubolia palumbaria, Ema- 

 turga atomaria, and Tanagra atrata were abundant. I also secured Thera 

 firmata, Cidaria corylata, Emmelesia albidata, E. unifasciata, Melanippe 

 fluctuata, Anticlea rubidata, Melanthia albicillata, Cidaria associata, C. 

 dotata, Lomaspilis marginata, Boarmia repandata, Asthena candidata, Botys 

 ruralis, Angerona prunaria, Pseudoterpna pruinata, Iodis lactearia, and the 

 pretty China-mark, Hydrocampa stagnata. 



The extremely hot weather in June enabled me to use light 

 with advantage, and up to the end of July I captured the fol- 

 lowing at light : — 



