Il8 [Appendix B.N.F.C., 



method of spreading what is called "sugar" on the trees to 

 attract Noctuce, but it has never proved a success. Indeed, the 

 same may be said of every place that I have tried, except the 

 Donard demesne at Newcastle. The cause is probably the 

 dampness of the majority of the otherwise suitable localities, 

 including most of the wooded glens in the district. Two of the 

 less universal butterflies occur here, namely, Pararge egeria 

 (Wood Argus) and Epinephele hyperanthus (Ringlet), the 

 former being very common. Euchloe cardamines (Orange-tip) 

 is also common in the glen, and still more so on the mountain 

 just above, where I have taken specimens of a dwarf race. 

 Macroglossa bombylijormis is common at the top of the glen ; 

 the larva feeds on Scabiosa succisa, and the moth is fond of the 

 flowers of Pedicularis. Of the Bombyces, Spilosoma fuliginosa 

 is common, also Lophopteryx camelina and Thyatira derasa and 

 batis. The Noctuce include Miana arcuosa, Grammesia tri- 

 grammica, Dianthcecia nana, and Phisia tulchrina, and of the 

 Geometrce, which are more abundant, the commonest are 

 Metrocampa margaritaria (Light Emerald), Selenia bilunaria, 

 Odontopera bidentata, Cabera pusaria and exantkemaria, 

 which fly in swarms about dusk, Strenia clathrata, Eupithecia 

 lariciata among the larches in the higher parts, Hypsipetes 

 impluviata among alder, Melanthia bicolorata and ocellata, 

 Anticlea badiata and nigrofasciaria and Cidarta silaceata, of 

 which the larva feeds on the enchanter's nightshade. 



We are on very different ground when we come to explore 

 the hills, and we meet with an entirely different insect fauna. 

 Species which are universal on the lower ground are entirely 

 absent on the heather, and naturally the heath-feeding species 

 do not occur away from the food-plant. Besides the heath 

 species there are several which feed on Vaccinium, on various 

 low plants, on ferns and grasses, and on Salix repens. The last 

 is comparatively scarce on most parts ot the Belfast hills, so 

 that the fauna is poorer than it would be if this favourite food- 

 plant were more abundant. On the steep eastern face of the 

 hills many plants grow which are not to be found off the Chalk, 



