Insects. 897 



Note on the Entomology of Lundy Island. 

 By T. Vernon Wollaston, Esq., B.A., M.CP.S. 

 Having been induced, in June, 1844, to visit Lundy Island, in the 

 Bristol Channel, for the purpose of exploring its entomological pro- 

 ductions, a short notice of my captures may not be altogether devoid 

 of interest, partially on account of the singular locality m which 

 they occurred, and partially because I have reason to believe it is the 

 first time it has ever been visited for the like purpose. 



And it may be well to state, before we proceed, that the island is 

 situated between the coasts of Devonshire and Wales, about fourteen 

 miles from the former, the nearest land being Hartland Point, the 

 western extremity of Bideford Bay. It is an extremely dangerous 

 and barren coast, the island being about three miles and a quarter m 

 length, and half a mile in breadth at the widest point. It is actually 

 inaccessible, except in the calmest weather, the few inhabitants it 

 contains being frequently shut out from all communication with the 

 main land for months together during the winter ; and, to an entomo- 

 logist, nothing could possibly be more unpromising than its whole 

 appearance. There is but a single landing-place, which, on account 

 of the violence of the westerly gales, has been formed on the eastern 

 side of the island, and nowhere is the good old proverb " incidit in 

 Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim" more strongly illustrated than it 

 is here. For, with the slightest breeze from the east, the most dis- 

 tant chance of landing, on account of the numberless under-rocks, is 

 destroyed, so that, while guarding against the perils from the west, 

 you stand a fair chance of being overtaken by worse ones from the 

 east. The island, which is nothing more nor less than a large gra- 

 nite rock, rising perpendicularly to an immense height out of the sea, 

 has not so much as a single tree to boast of, the few that have ever 

 been planted having invariably been blown up by the roots before 

 they arrived at maturity; for the gales are at times so tremendous, 

 that it is next to impossible for anything but the strongest building 

 to withstand them. The danger attending the passage in a small 

 boat, and the great probability of being unable to land when you get 

 there, are reasons of themselves quite sufficient to deter people from 

 visiting a spot apparently so dreary and uninteresting : but the ardour 

 of an entomologist is not to be damped by such obstacles ; the 

 " amor habendi" is too strongly developed to be outshone by the 

 risk ; and when there is a chance, however distant, of obtaining 

 iii 3 B 



