6822 Insects, 



settled in the next few years. When we get fully acquainted with the 

 habits of species, 1 do not hesitate to say that we shall have no 

 doubtful ones in our lists ; for as larva-collecting gets more general it 

 can easily be proved whether an insect passes the whole of its trans- 

 formations in this country. 



Many species are of such retired habits that we rarely meet with 

 them in the perfect state, although as larvae they may be abundant. 

 Amongst the Tineina some species are only found in the larva state ; 

 and therefore, however rare a species may be in the perfect state, 

 I consider we ought not to expunge it until we are satisfied that it 

 does not breed here, — in fact, that it is a " foreigner." 



If we agree with Mr. Stainton that P. Daplidice, V. Antiopa and 

 A. Lathonia are not truly British, we must pursue the same course 

 with many of our rarest Lepidoptera, the transformations of which we 

 are unacquainted with : the theory will apply equally well to either 

 case. Does any one here doubt that the common skipper {Pamphila 

 Sylvanus) is a British species? Has it never struck any of you, when 

 watching this pretty creature sporting from flower to flower, that it 

 may have been "blown over?" Yet, ridiculous as it may seem, to 

 carry the argument out such must be the case ; for it must be borne 

 in mind that, long as we have been accustomed to look upon P. Sylva- 

 nus as British, the discovery of the larva is yet unrecorded; and if we 

 exclude P. Daplidice, V. Antiopa and A. Lathonia as non-residents, 

 or in other words because they do not pass their transformations here, 

 we should do so with P. Sylvanus, because we have no proof either 

 way in either case. 



An argument put forward by the abolitionists, in some cases, is the 

 absence of the natural food of some species, of which the transforma- 

 tions are known. Now, I acknowledge that many species are exclu- 

 sive in their food ; but, again, there are plenty which, though not 

 polyphagous, devour different plants, or at least feed on allied species. 

 There is one of our rarest Micros — Hypercallia Christiernana — which 

 feeds, on the Continent, on Polygala Chamaebuxus. This is not a 

 British plant; but Mr. Stainton, having received some larvee from 

 Germany, and being short of their food-plant, tried them with an 

 allied species, Polygala vulgaris, which they ate readily. This fact, I 

 have no doubt, will apply to many other species of the various fami- 

 lies of Lepidoptera. 



With regard to those species which were formerly taken here, but 

 which are now never met with, I will quote an example, Plusia illus- 

 tris. This beautiful Noctua was thrown out by Mr. Doubleday, but. 



