82 



at Eastbourne," and exhibited specimens of many of the 

 species referred to : — 



t( The past summer has been so exceptional on account 

 of the small rainfall, that any notes of observations with 

 regard to insect life made during that period may be worth 

 recording. I trust, therefore, that the result of sundry flying 

 visits, extending over the month of August and first week of 

 September, to the town of Eastbourne, and that part of the 

 Sussex Downs situate between it and Beechy Head, in quest 

 of Lepidoptera, may not be uninteresting. 



" Perhaps the most noticeable feature was the unusual 

 abundance of some species, and the comparative scarcity or 

 complete absence of others. Many of the commoner Butter- 

 flies were much more common than usual ; this was especially 

 the case with Pieris brassiccz, L., and P. rapes, L. A great 

 deal has already been said on this subject, so much, indeed, 

 that I feel some diffidence in again touching upon it ; but 

 there are one or two points that I should like to mention. In 

 the first place, I have heard it asserted that this ( swarm of 

 white's' included all three of our usual species. Howeverthismay 

 have been in other localities, I cannot say; but my experi- 

 ence was quite the reverse. Of the many specimens that I 

 examined, with a view to satisfying myself as to their iden- 

 tity, and perhaps with a faint hope that in so promising a 

 locality I might perchance turn up a veritable British dapli- 

 dice> L., there was not one single specimen of napi y L. ; but 

 brassicce and rapes occurred in about equal numbers. Then 

 as to the probable cause of their great abundance : the immi- 

 gration theory offers such an easy solution of the question 

 that it is hardly to be wondered that we are apt to jump 

 at it, and consider the matter thus definitely settled. But 

 should we not also look at other possibilities ? I do not for 

 one moment doubt the probability of a certain number of 

 individuals reaching us from the other side of the channel ; 

 indeed, there appears to be good evidence that such is the 

 case. But if my information is correct, these species are not 

 usually more abundant there than with us ; and if that is so, 

 we can hardly suppose that any contingent would be likely 



