INSECTS 
cited as localities. Its powers of flight are not great, but owing to the 
nature of the ground it frequents it is not an easy insect to capture. 
Before sunrise and after sunset and in dull weather a few may be found 
resting on grass stems and amongst heath, but they are hard to see. This 
interesting species varies extensively both in colour and ocellation, though 
I have not seen any quite so dark or so well ocellated as the Lancashire 
form. Most of the Cumberland specimens may be referred to Dr. 
Buckell’s ‘ British middle form.’ C. pamphilus, L., Small Heath, occurs 
commonly in grassy places everywhere. The var. /yllus, Esp., 
characterized by a black border to the wings, is not scarce. But three 
of the ‘ Hairstreaks’ are to be recorded, and the first, Thec/a betula, L., 
Brown Hairstreak, should almost be relegated to the doubtful list, as but 
one specimen has occurred, and that at Barron Wood many years ago. 
The species does not find a place in Porritt’s Yorkshire list nor in 
Robson’s more comprehensive work on the Lepidoptera of Northumber- 
land and Durham. I. gwercus, L., Purple Hairstreak, is widely 
distributed but local and seldom common, except among the oaks in 
Barron’ Wood, where it abounds. Also a local species, though usually 
to be taken freely when found, J. rubi, L., Green Hairstreak, is one of 
our earliest butterflies. It occurs at all the regularly worked stations and 
frequents bilberry-covered banks in and near woods, sometimes taking 
soaring flights among the pine-tops like its congener guercus does 
among the oaks.  Polyommatus phleas, L., Small Copper, is common 
as a rule all over the county, especially the August emergence. In 
1899 a specimen was taken near Carlisle with a large bleached patch 
on the right primary, and in 1894 a fine example of the var. schmidti, 
Gerh., was obtained in the same district.’ Lycena egon, Schiff., Silver- 
studded Blue, and L. astrarche, Bgstr., Brown Argus, are only recorded 
from Keswick and they are far from common. L. icarus, Rott., Common 
Blue, is abundant along the coast and in meadows and lanes inland. Some 
of the females are very blue, especially those from the coast. Concerning 
L. corydon, Fb., Chalk Hill Blue, the late J. B. Hodgkinson wrote (Ezt., 
vol. xxi. p. 24), ‘It used to occur at Grisedale, at the foot of Saddle- 
back; I have seen some specimens taken by the late Mr. Hope of 
Penrith.’ I cannot add anything to this. L. argiolus, L., Holly Blue, 
occurs among holly in the Borrowdale Road and many years ago was 
taken at Wetheral by the late T. Armstrong. L. minima, Fues., Small 
Blue, usually occurs on railway banks and is locally abundant. Localities 
are Wreay, How Mill, Wigton and St. Bees. Nemuobius lucina, L., 
Duke of Burgundy Fritillary, has not been met with since Hodgkinson’s 
time, when it appears to have occurred in some abundance in Barron 
Wood. ‘Two skippers only are known. Ny¢somiades tages, L., Dingy 
Skipper, frequents grassy places and abounds in certain places near 
Carlisle. In the Keswick district it is uncommon. It often occurs con- 
temporaneously with Ewuclidia mi, Clerck, and E. glyphica, L. But few 
Cumberland lepidopterists appear to have met with H. sy/vanus, Esp., 
1 A specimen of var. schmidti was taken last year (1900) near Ellenborough.—F. H. D. 
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