Vm INTRODUCTION. 



Evans most kindly examined the collection for me, and com- 

 pared it with the Twizell list, but owing to the abstractions 

 and additions no satisfactory result could be arrived at. Had it 

 been secured for our own local museum, it would have been of 

 great value to students of our northern fauna, and solved all 

 doubts as to the list itself. 



In an appendix to Ornsby's '^ Sketches of Durham " is a list 

 of Lepidoptera, in many cases with the locality where they 

 have been taken and the name of the captor. This appears to 

 be a perfectly reliable list. It contains one or two species of 

 which there is no other record, and which no longer occur. It 

 also contains one or two species I would have considered very 

 unlikely to be met with in Durham. I have found on investi- 

 gation that these actually are yet to be taken in the 

 localities stated, and this has given me confidence in those no 

 longer to be found, especially as there are local causes for their 

 disappearance. 



Stainton's ''Manual of British Butterflies and Moths" was 

 issued in monthly parts during the fifties of the past century. 

 It contains a list of localities where the various species occur. 

 Two of these localities are within our area — Darlington con- 

 tracted "Da.," and IS'ewcaetle-on-Tyne contracted ''IS'e."; the 

 latter being only used in the second volume. These must be 

 understood as referring to the residence of the collector who 

 supplied the information, rather than the actual place where 

 the species occurred. Darlington is so close to the Yorkshire 

 boundary that the entomologists there probably collect as much 

 in Yorkshire as in Durham. The late John Sang, who supplied 

 many of the references, collected regularly at Richmond and at 

 Redcar, both in Yorkshire. He assisted me with the Darlington 

 references, and I do not think I have made any mistake. The 

 ITewcastle list, as stated, was supplied by Mr. Wailes, who 

 occasionally came to Castle Eden Dene. My own knowledge of 

 this district has enabled me to correct any reference to New- 

 castle, for insects taken only in Durham. 



A list of Lepidoptera taken near Stockton-on-Tees is given in 

 Brewster's ''Parochial History and Antiquities of Stockton-on- 



