﻿EHOPALOCERA IN SWITZERLAND. 57 



a few miles from my late residence, yet I was in the habit of 

 meeting with this form all around the neighbourhood, — some- 

 times in clover-fields, sometimes settled on flowers in corn-fields, 

 and occasionally flying in grassy lanes. The time for its 

 appearance would be the latter half of July and the beginning of 

 August. 



Butterflies, as a rule, are scarce in that part of Essex. In 

 1875 Colias edusa and C. hyale occurred plentifully, but Vanessa 

 polychloros is the only local species I have found in fair numbers. 

 Leucophasia sinapis occasionally occurs singty, likewise Thecla 

 w-album and L. argiolus ; and in 1887 T.quercus more frequently. 

 The common skippers, S. alveolus and T. tages, are very local but 

 fairly abundant ; but H. sylvanus is met with everywhere with H. 

 ihaumas. The only fritillary I met with during four seasons was 

 a single wandering A. paphia, in a country lane, — most probably 

 a rambler from some distant wood. Even such a common species 

 as L. egeria seems to be non-existent . Butterflies being thus 

 comparatively scarce was probably the reason why I paid so much 

 attention to what I then considered to be a local form of H. 

 thaumas, but which I now know to be H. lineola. 

 Chinnor, Oxon, January 10, 1890. 



Hesperia lineola, a description of which is given by Mr. Hawes 

 (Entom. 3), occurs in abundance, the first week in July, on the 

 marshes near Purfleet, Shoeburyness. I possess five specimens 

 only, but could, had I been disposed, have taken many scores 

 last year. — F. G. Whittle; 2, Cambridge Terrace, Lupus 

 Street, S.W. 



RHOPALOCEKA IN SWITZERLAND. 

 By R. S. Standkn, F.E.S. 



On my return to England, after an absence of six years on 

 the Continent, 1 have been surprised and disappointed to find 

 how strong a hold exclusive British Entomology still has upon 

 the average collector. It is natural enough that we should 

 treasure and make the most of insects that are unknown else- 

 where, but how extremely limited is the list of them. The 

 British Isles, as was remarked once by Mr. Bates, are but a 

 " half-starved fragment " of the great palaearctic realm, and it 

 seems to me that to limit one's researches to a small corner of a 

 large area is to take an extremely narrow view of an important 

 science. 



In these days of cheap locomotion, too, it is hard to under- 

 stand why the young student, who has long since exhausted his 

 observations — for example, on the British butterfly — should not 



ENTOM. FEB. 1890. *" 



