OCCURRING ON THE COAST, NEAR THE TYNE. 283 



take stray specimens of such insects as Agrotis porphyrea, 

 Caloena Haworthii and Eupitliecia nanata, which, in the larval 

 state, feed on heather. These can hardly be accounted for other- 

 wise than that they are the remnants of a Lepidopterous fauna, 

 which flourished when the flat land to the north and south of the 

 Tyne was a moor, more or less covered with heather. The 

 heather has become almost extinct, for I only know of one 

 or two tufts of it on the cliffs, near Cullercoats ; and although 

 Mr. Eales, of South Shields, to whom I am indebted for much 

 information about the insects found there, has sought diligently 

 for it, he has, as yet, been unable to find a single plant in that 

 neighbourhood. He has, however, taken single specimens both 

 of porphyrea and Haworthii, and a pair of Eupithecia nanata, 

 and I have taken Haworthii at Cullercoats also. Secondly: 

 the great traffic between our river and foreign ports has not 

 been without its influence on our littoral fauna. The large 

 quantities of ballast which ships bring over, and much of which 

 is deposited on ballast-hills at the mouth of the river, contain 

 insects in the larval or pupal state, and thus occasionally insects 

 new to the district are introduced ; as, for example, Liparis 

 Salicis, which was taken on the ballast-hills last summer. More 

 rarely, insects altogether new to this country are introduced, 

 Halonota grandcevana, Mr. Eales' last addition to the British 

 fauna being an example of this ; for, although it is a by no 

 means insignificant insect, it has only been found at Hartlepool 

 in a locality precisely similar to that in which it was first dis- 

 covered at South Shields. 



I will now proceed to give a list, as complete as possible, of 

 the Lepidoptera of the district, and will take the liberty of 

 occasionally making a remark on some of the insects recorded. 



DIURJSfl (BUTTERFLIES). 



Are by no means common on the coast, the Pieridce and Vanessidco 

 being the only two families at all numerously represented. 



PIERIDCE. 



Pier is Brass ices. — Not uncommon in gardens. 



