124 Highland Insects. 



HIGHLAND INSECTS. 



BY E. C. EYE. 



The English Entomologist, confining himself for the most part 

 to the productions of his native land, is at a great disadvantage, 

 as regards mere variety and quantity of material, compared 

 with continental workers ; the late Dr. Schaum, when on a 

 visit to this country, having indeed expressed astonishment 

 that there should be any entomologists here, as there appeared 

 such a "plentiful lack" of objects for investigation. Our 

 insular position is, of course, in a great measure the reason of 

 this comparative dearth of species ; but, en revanche, it has the 

 advantage of imposing upon our study a definite limit ; and no 

 one who has perused the works on the Atlantic fauna by our 

 talented countryman, Mr. T. V. Wollaston, can deny the charm 

 of working at island groups. 



There are, however, more things in the British isles than 

 are dreamed of in our philosophy, especially in the way of 

 insects, and notably in the order Goleo^tera, or beetles ; and, 

 strangely enough, it is from the more boreal parts of Great 

 Britain that novelties are to be expected. The remote nooks 

 and corners of the north are necessarily less investigated than 

 the more easily accessible southern hunting-grounds ; but the 

 superficial observer would be inclined not to attach much 

 weight to this point, as he would argue (and with apparent 

 reason) that insects are most plentiful in the southern counties, 

 and get gradually scarcer towards the midland and northern 

 districts. Nevertheless, there are many parts of the south and 

 west where beetles never abound, and from whence nothing 

 entomologically good ever comes ; and the geological formation 

 and universal utilization of the soil of the midland counties 

 account, in a great measure, for their want of insect-life, — the 

 drainings of meres, and other " improvements," having espe- 

 cially exterminated many rarities. But when we get beyond 

 the borders, and reach the mountainous districts of the 

 Scottish highlands, a new insect-life, sub-alpine, and strange 

 to southern eyes, greets us. Nor are the individual exponents 

 of species rare, very many occurring in great profusion, and 

 some of the forms being of considerable and unexpected size, 

 curious development, and attractive colours. 



Some yeai'S ago the little village of Kinloch-Bannoch, on 

 the shores of Loch Baunoch, in Perthshire, about twenty-five 

 miles west of Killiecrankie, was discovered (entomologically) 

 by the late Mr. Weaver, a professional collector ; and, subse- 

 quently to his time, has periodically been visited by many 



