Zoology. 105 



Carlisle, dottrels seldom make their appearance before the middle of May, about 

 which time they are occasionally seen in different localities in flocks, which vary 

 in number from four to fifteen, and almost invariably resort to heaths, barren 

 pastures, fallow ground, &c. in open and exposed situations, where they continue 

 if unmolested from ten days to a fortnight, and then retire to the mountains in 

 the vicinity of the lakes to breed. The most favourite breeding haunts of these 

 birds are always near to or on the summits of the highest mountains, particular- 

 ly those that are densely covered with the woolly fringe moss (Trichostomum 

 lanuginosum, Hedw.) which, indeed, grows more or less profusely on nearly all 

 the most elevated parts of this alpine district. In these lonely places they con- 

 stantly reside during the whole of the breeding season, a considerable part of the 

 time enveloped in clouds and almost daily drenched with rain, or the wetting 

 mists, so extremely prevalent in these dreary regions ; and there can be little doubt 

 that it is owing, in a great measure, to this peculiar feature in their economy that 

 they have remained so long in obscurity during the period of incubation. After 

 repeated excursions through the lake district for the express purpose in the 

 summer of 1835, of looking for their nests, I was so fortunate as to obtain the 

 eggs in two different localities ; namely, three on Whiteside, contiguous to Hel- 

 vellyn, on the 29th of June, and two on the 5th of July, on Robinson Fell, in 

 the vicinity of Buttermere ; the former had been incubated twelve or fourteen 

 days, the latter only recently laid, and in both instances the birds were seen to 

 leave their eggs ; one on quitting them, immediately spread out its wings and tail, 

 which were trailed on the ground a short distance, and thus flew away without 

 uttering a single note. On this day (July 5, 1835,) a young bird a few days 

 old was also captured on the same Fell T. C. Hey sham. 



Hipparchia blandina Very abundant in most of the upland sheep pastures 



in Dumfries-shire, extending to the lower districts along the smaller valleys, dur- 

 ing July and the first week of August ; in very great profusion in the head of the 

 vale of Dryfe, and in Eskdale, extending without interruption to the confines of 

 Roxburghshire. 



Conops nigra — Amongst the few Dipterous insects taken in Sutherlandshire, 

 during an excursion to explore the natural productions of that county in the sum- 

 mer of 1834, we find a fine example of the Conops nigra of De Geer, — a species 

 which has not hitherto been included in our indigenous lists. It is one of the 

 largest of the genus, measuring about seven lines in length, and is distinguished 

 from the other species by having the abdomen entirely black. The forehead 

 and countenance ferruginous ; the thorax wholly black ; and the anterior half of 

 the wings deep yellow. The halteres and legs are' reddish-yellow, the latter with 

 the base of the thighs black. It is figured and described by De Geer, vol. vi. 

 p. 265, pi. 15, fig- 9. The species to which it is most nearly allied is C- macro- 

 cephala, Linn, of which Fallen has supposed it to be a variety. This opinion, 

 however, will not be adopted by those who have had an opportunity of examin- 

 ing both insects, the distinctive marks of C. nigra obviously exceeding the limits 

 of variation which we ire authorized to assign even to very inconstant species. 

 It was first found in Sweden, where it appears to be very rare ; and its occur- 

 rence in Sutherland is not without interest, as affording another proof, among 

 several others which have been advanced lately, that the insect productions of 



