TWO DAYS AT ABERSOCri. 289 



dusk, my friend and I found ourselves, net in hand. A fairy 

 spot — and it looked as if the fairies had just left it at the 

 approach of mortals. Here and there were numerous glow- 

 worms {Lnmjjyris noctilaca), looking like fairy lamps left in hasty 

 flight. We had no difficulty in taking both sexes. It was rather 

 early, in even this forward season, for Geometra papilionaria. 

 Other moths, however, were abundant, such as Metrocampa mar- 

 garitaria, Macaria Uturata, Larentia viridaria {pectinitaria) and 

 Xylophasia rurea ; but our best capture was a fine specimen of 

 Lithosia mesomella, probably the first record of the insect for 

 North Wales. 



We were up early and away next morning. A look into the 

 garden showed the earl}' character of the season. Here were 

 gooseberries ripe, and currants — black, white, and red. Our 

 drive lay under the shady oaks of the Tan-y-Bwlch Valley to 

 Penrhyn Deudraeth, where we caught the train for Pwllheli. 

 There is, after all, something luxurious in a well-appointed 

 Welsh car, with a quick, easy and shapely stepper in the shafts, 

 and a Jehu in front who knows his business. Very different was 

 my solitary progress from Pwllheli to Abersoch three years ago, 

 a progress which might be described, in the language of the 

 politician, as one of leaps and bounds. In weather like ours there 

 is much along this interesting road to occupy the mind. Here, a 

 mile away from Pwllheli, a pile of rock looks like a miniature 

 Gibraltar. It is crowned by a castellated building, and, no doubt, 

 if the enemy would kindly attack in front, it could defy all comers. 

 Lots of the summer brood of Vanessa urticce flitted about the 

 road, and we looked admiringly on the numerous Argynnis 

 aglaia which scoured the fern-and-bramble-clad banks along our 

 way. Whites, too, were well represented, such as Pieris rapce 

 and P. napi. The marshy flats were clothed with the sabre- 

 shaped leaves of the common iris, surmounted by its glorious 

 yellow flowers, while, here and there, were red blossoming beds 

 of ragged robin, suggesting Dianthoecia. 



Abersoch was soon reached, and we at once took up our 

 quarters in the only hotel, St. Tudwal's, a very comfortable 

 place. At lunch we met an elderly gentleman, a young one, and 

 a young lady. They were botanists, and, in conversation, it 

 leaked out that we were in search of Z. minos. Four of us, 

 therefore, repaired to the "cliffs" as soon as possible. To our 

 disappointment we found all our search fruitless, and that Z. minos 

 was not everywhere. That is so. Its existence is a very local one, 

 and, for certain reasons, precarious. Therefore it is to be hoped it 

 may be allowed to continue, practically an insect preserved. To 

 my friend belong all the honours of our discovery, and, when we 

 returned to our hotel in the evening, he had secured one 

 specimen. On our arrival we were infornied that another 

 entomologist had turned up, Mr. E. W. H. Blagg. We were in 



