Kane — On the Entomology of certain Districts in Ulster. 785 



Thus the long reaches of sand-hills or rocky shores around our 

 coasts, luxuriant with every sort of maritime plant, and exposed to 

 various aspects and climatic conditions, have for the most part yet to 

 be explored. Our vast bogs, and numerous lake and river margins, 

 though as yet undisturbed by the intrusion, as in the sister island, of 

 populous towns and manufacturing settlements, have, strange to say, 

 contributed a more meagi'e list of marsh insects than any one of the 

 English fen districts. And although the woodlands of Killarney and 

 Powerscourt have yielded surprising results to Mr. Birchall and 

 others, yet we may reasonably hope for numerous fresh discoveries in 

 like districts elsewhere in Ireland. For although we have no such 

 treasury of Natural History as the 'Bbw Forest in Hampshire, yet we 

 should not forget that this country was far more recently than Eng- 

 land clothed with dense forests and wild scrub-lands, large tracts of 

 which survived as late as the year 1700. 



"We may, therefore, reasonably expect to find, wherever traces of 

 any such forest lands still exist, the relics of a formerly abundant en- 

 tomological fauna. 



The objection usually urged, that the damp climate of this country 

 is prejudicial to the multiplication of Lepidoptera, J.s only valid as 

 regards the sun-loving diurnal Rhopalocera, which swarm even in sub- 

 arctic regions, however cold and long the winter, provided only the 

 summer is brilliant with sunshine. My report deals with the Macro- 

 Lepidoptera observed in two districts where portions of old forest still 

 survive ; but as these remnants are yearly disappearing, or being re- 

 planted by more profitable species of timber, I propose, if the subject 

 is thought worthy of the attention of the Academy, to indicate in a 

 future Paper some localities of a like nature which still exist in each 

 province of Ireland, and which might, if examined, contribute new 

 botanic and entomological discoveries. I shall now pass on to give 

 an account of the places explored, but cannot help referring to the 

 loss I sustained in being deprived by the hand of death of the assist- 

 ance of the accomplished young student of JS'atural History with whom 

 I was to have been associated ; namely, the late E. W. Sinclair. I 

 had but just sketched out the plan of our proposed operations when a 

 fatal illness hurried him to the grave, followed by the hearty regrets 

 of all his friends and acquaintances. These furnished an eloquent 

 testimony to his worth and promise. He left but scanty entomolo- 

 gical memoranda, so that much of his experience is lost. 



It seems regrettable that no Society exists in this University City, 

 as elsewhere, which would gather together lovers of J^Tatural History 

 such as he, record their researches, and through its members diffuse 

 throughout the country an interest in these humanizing studies. 



The districts I examined lie in Ulster, which being for the most 

 part devoid of woods, and devoted chiefly to tillage, has hitherto 

 proved the most unfruitful province to the Entomologist. Although 

 my labours were not ill rewarded, as the appended list of 225 species 

 will show, yet it was unfortunate that the past season has been 



