Insects. 1443 



Dover from the French coast. It was described as being so extensive as to pass like a 

 cloud of snow. The decks of several vessels were covered with them. They came in 

 a south-west direction, and as the wind was not blowing at the time they were enabled 

 to reach the shore in safety, from whence they were speedily driven inland by the ris- 

 ing of the wind soon after their arrival. There is no doubt, therefore, that the influx 

 of butterflies which appeared at Kingston on the Tuesday morning formed part of the 

 flight which arrived at Dover on the Sunday previous. The wind being against them 

 will account for the length of time they took to travel to Kingston, which is distant 

 only ten miles from Dover. They might also have required rest after their trip across 

 the Channel. The great majority of those I caught were the small garden white 

 (Pontia rapce). The specimens of Pontia brassicae flying at the time, did not exceed 

 the number generally seen at this season of the year ; nor have I since observed any 

 increase in their numbers, although the former is still everywhere to be seen in unusual 

 abundance. More than three quarters of those which I killed were females, and there 

 can be but little doubt that the cause of their migration hither was caused by afore- 

 seen lack of food that would be necessary for the supply of the wants of the immense 

 offspring which such vast multitudes would produce, and that they were, therefore, led 

 by that instinct, the force and power of which we know so little, to seek in another 

 country that necessary provision for their progeny which they lacked in their own. 

 Perhaps the late extraordinary mild winter may in a measure have been the cause 

 of so great an increase in their numbers, as to render it necessary for them to send a 

 colony to England, as in Kent the caterpillars of this very butterfly fed during most 

 of the winter months in considerable numbers on the broccoli and cabbage in our gar- 

 dens. Much as I admire the instinct which guided them here, I by no means approve 

 of the object of their visit, as already the cabbages, broccoli, savoys, and the whole of 

 that tribe of plants, begin to show evident tokens of it, and I fear in some in- 

 stances the crop will fall a sacrifice to the ravages of their caterpillars. — J. Pemberton 

 Bartlett ; Kingston Rectory, July 16th, 1846. 



Extraordinary flight of Butterflies. — One of the largest flights of butterflies ever 

 seen in this country, crossed the Channel from France to England, on Sunday last. 

 Such was the density and extent of the cloud formed by the living mass, that it com- 

 pletely obscured the sun from the people on board our continental steamers, on their 

 passage, for many hundreds of yards, while the insects strewed the decks in all direc- 

 tions. The flight reached England about 12 o'clock at noon, and dispersed themselves 

 inland and along shore, darkening the air as they went- During the sea passage of 

 the butterflies, the weather was calm and sunny, with scarce a puff of wind stirring ; 

 but an hour or so after they reached terra firma, it came on to blow great guns from 

 the S.W., the direction whence the insects came. — Canterbury Journal. 



Death'' s-head Hawk-moth at Sea. — A fine specimen of this insect flew on board the 

 Atalanta steamer when off the Casket Rocks on the 30th of May. — Arthur Benington ; 

 Sivansea, July 7th, 1846. 



Death's-head Hawk-moth, at Bar ton-on-the-Heath. — I beg to record the capture of 

 a very fine and perfect specimen of this insect. It was taken on the 6th of May last, 

 creeping up a beech tree on the estate of the Rev. J. Scholefield, at Barton-on-thc- 

 Heath, Warwickshire, (about six miles from this town). This insect appears to come 

 forth at very'different times of the year, more generally, I believe, after Midsummer. 

 It is rarely taken in this neighbourhood. The late appearance of butterflies this sea- 

 son has been rather remarkable. The first specimen I saw was a small white 



