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On Lepidoptera in Roxburghshire. By Adam Elliot, 

 Samieston, Jedburgh. 



The various districts of the county of Eoxburgh will require 

 to be more fully investigated by Entomologists before an account 

 of its Lepidopterous insects can be written, bearing a near 

 approximation to the number of species occurring throughout its 

 area. It must be remembered that the character of the seasons 

 has a very direct effect on the numerical decrease or preservation 

 of species. Of this influence we have a recent and very obvious 

 example, the winter of 1881-2 being mild and open, the summer 

 following has been generally one of the most barren in Macro- 

 lepidoptera that has occurred for many years, and the two 

 immediately preceding seasons being very productive, following 

 hard winters with much snow, the results produced by the 

 weather are particularly marked ; this effect may probably 

 also be observed in other orders of insects, such as the Coleop- 

 tera, and so a course of years is necessary in order to note the 

 insects which are recurrent in their appearance. 



A pretty large number of species have been recorded, but as 

 yet the numerically extensive Sub-division of the Heterocera — 

 the Micro-lepidoptera — has received comparatively little atten- 

 tion. The Lepidoptera that I shall endeavour to note, I have 

 observed principally in the south-eastern division of the county, 

 either as imagoes, or reared from larvae obtained there; some of 

 them, however, to the westward, or taken by others. 



I shall first note some of the species belonging to the first 

 order of Lepidoptera — the Ehopalocera — and shall append a list 

 of the components of both orders — the Ehopalocera and the 

 Heterocera — which I know to occur in these districts. 



Of the first order, the Ehopalocera, I am able to record twenty 

 one species only. Of these the Pieridse comprise five species, 

 the Satyridae six, the Vanessidse four, the Argynnidse two, and 

 the Lycsenidse four. Many of these are common and generally 

 distributed ; several very local, and one species, CoUas Edusa^ 

 recurrent and extremely uncertain in appearance, although I 

 have seen it both in the eastern and western districts. Of the 

 local species, Satyrus Semele, in both districts, frequents dry 

 rocky banks and stony places on the sides of the hills, to which 

 it is confined. Erelia Blandina haunts from about Minto west- 

 wards. I have seen a specimen some miles further west, which, 



