Insects. 3349 



spots ; these are large woods of oak and ash, with broad grassy rid- 

 ings, and underwood of the most impenetrable blackthorn, intermixed 

 with stools of the broad-leaved willow (Salix caprea), and adjoined 

 by some large and only partially cultivated fields of coarse grass, 

 thymy hillocks, &c. &c. ; in short, as inviting looking spots as an en- 

 tomologist could well desire. Here, in the space of one week, in the 

 month of July, I have captured specimens of Apatura Iris, Polyom- 

 matus Arion, Thecla Pruni, T. W-album, Argynnis Paphia, A. Aglaia, 

 Pieris Crataegi, Hipparchia Galathea. Early in the morning, and on 

 damp gleamy days, I have several times seen, to the^reatest advan- 

 tage, as I conceive, the most splendid of all our British flies, Apatura 

 Iris, sailing along the ridings, and settling upon the ruts and other 

 moist and muddy spots, often assailed by the impudent attacks of 

 Hipparchia Janira and Galathea, which appear to be the foremost in 

 attacking him, when he thus condescends to leave for a while his lofty 

 oak, to visit the regions of his less honourable kindred. 



The partiality which this insect exhibits for individual sprigs of 

 particular trees, has often been remarked upon by entomologists, and 

 is certainly confirmed by the emperors of this neighbourhood. And 

 it should almost seem as if this partiality were, if I may use the ex- 

 pression, hereditary : for upon a certain sprig of a small ash tree, by 

 the side of one of the ridings in Barnwell Wold, I have each year 

 since 1847, succeeded in capturing the purple emperor; and in all 

 instances, upon the capture of one, the same identical sprig has in the 

 course of a few days, if not within a few hours, been invariably occu- 

 pied by another emperor. 



Argynnis Aglaia, which, some years since, was plentiful here, has 

 now almost, I may say entirely disappeared : not one single specimen 

 did I meet with last year, and only one in the year 1850. Thecla 

 Pruni is very uncertain in its appearance : in 1837 it literally swarmed 

 in Barnwell and Ashton Wolds ; I do not scruple to say that it would 

 have been possible to capture some hundreds of them, had one been 

 so disposed : for the last few years it has appeared but very sparingly 

 indeed. Thecla Betulse I never observed till this last September, 

 and then by no means plentifully, although I have repeatedly looked 

 for it every year since my residence in this county in 1847, thinking 

 our wolds most particularly favourable-looking spots. 



A flight of Hesperia Comma also appeared for the first time, to me, 

 at least, last year ; and certainly most unexpectedly, as I have always 

 hitherto considered H. Comma as one of those insects peculiar to 

 chalky soils, of which, so far as I know, we have none in this neigh- 



