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



blue, and with a border of red spots round all the wings. In 

 this district the male is large and very bright blue, approaching 

 the colour of Lyccena adonis, while the female is also blue, 

 though not so bright, and the marginal red spots are very large 

 and bright. Specimens of both forms may be seen in the 

 Museum collection. 



There is not much to be got on sandhills early in the year ; 

 the real work begins with the flowering of the marram grass 

 in June and July, and is better still when the ragweed is in 

 flower in August. Great numbers of Agrotidce and other 

 Noctuce frequent these flowers. A few come out about 4 p.m. 

 on sunny days, and are then easily collected ; but for one that 

 is out then a hundred are out after dark. 



The heads of the Senecio are sometimes very large in such 

 situations, and on a single flower-head I have counted fifty or 

 sixty moths at once ; but they are very particular in their 

 choice, and while one flower-head is nearly covered with moths, 

 neighbouring and, as far as we can see, exactly similar heads are 

 nearly deserted. Besides the moths there are plenty of earwigs, 

 beetles, and gnats for any that are interested in these orders of 

 insects. A few species are particularly abundant, viz.: — Apamea 

 didyma in infinite variety, Agrotis tritici and Noctua xantho- 

 grapha, also very variable. Five out of six moths belong to one 

 or other of these species, but several others are also common — 

 Miana strigilis, M. bicoloria, M. literosa, Agrotis vestigialis, 

 A. cursoria, A. nigricans, A. prcecox, A. lucemea, and A. 

 suffusa ; Noctua rubi, Triphcena ianthina, and the common 

 yellow underwings ; Phlogophora meticulosa, Hydrcecia lucens, 

 H. micacea, and a number of others. A few Geometrce come 

 also to the flowers, besides a good many Crambi and other 

 Pyralides, and several species of Depressaria. On the heather 

 and bracken of the older parts of the sandhills other species 

 occur, but the only noticeable one is Gnophos obscurata, which 

 is very abundant. 



Micro-lepidoptera are abundant, and several good species 

 occur, such as Anerastia lotella, Crambus Warringtonellus, C. 



