102 



[September, 



Notes on Northern British Lepidoptera. — The following account of an entomo- 

 logical expedition may be interesting, as it relates to a district of Great Britain 

 farther north than the usual range of Lepidopterists, and records the capture of 

 various insects in a higher latitude than they have yet been stated to occur, so far 

 as I know, as well as of some that deserve notice on account of their rarity. 



The campaign commenced in the Shetland Islands, on 30th May, a time at 

 which the night, so-called, is not dark enough there to tempt nocturnal insects 

 abroad. 



In the hotel where I stayed I remarked the upstart CEcophora pseudo-spretella 

 with its ubiquitous companion End. fenestrella, and those were the only Lepidoptera 

 I met with on the mainland. On the Wart of Bressay, a fiae bold hill on the island 

 from which it takes its name, I was more successful, as Ananrta melanopa occurred 

 not uncommonly ; doubtless this species is abundant there, for during my visit it 

 could only be obtained by being beaten from the heather, — the weather being 

 eminently unfavourable for day-flying insects. Atnphisa Oerningiana fi'equents 

 the same locality, accompanied by Anchyl. unguicana. 



Bidding farewell to these barren and treeless islands, I landed at Aberdeen 

 early in June, and proceeded into Ross-shire, where I found the aspect of tho 

 country much more promising for entomological results. The south-eastern part 

 of the county is very mountainous, and richly wooded with pine, birch, and oak. 

 The fertile spots are, however, oases (large ones certainly) in the midst of as bleak 

 a district as I have ever seen, and the mountains differ from the prolific summits 

 of Perthshire by being extremely dry, — resembling in this respect almost all the 

 northern Scotch mountains. The climate is, I am informed, remarkably equable 

 and mild, and this may account for the occurrence of some of the insects presently 

 to be named. I was fortunate enough to have the companionship of Dr. White of 

 Perth, well-known for his researches in Scotch Entomology and Botany, with whom 

 I spent some of the pleasantest days I can remember. 



Of the butterflies, few occurred deserving of notice. Argynnis Euphrosyne 

 and Selene were both common, and Cynthia cardui and Thcmaos Tages were 

 occasionally met with, besides others well known in northern localities. 



The long-protracted twilight rendered "sugaring" a laborious process, but we 

 persevered on twenty evenings during little more than three weeks, the moths 

 generally beginning to fly about 11 p.m., so that the time of reaching home 

 again was about 1.30 a.m. Usually about eighty trees presented the sweet 

 allurement, and the general character of the weather was favourable, — cloudy 

 and warm with westerly winds, though they were often stronger than I quite 

 like them to be. The result I consider satisfactory, as the average number of 

 guests at the feast cannot have been less than a hundred and fifty. Cymatophora 

 duplaris was not uncommon, and C. or put in an occasional appearance. Of the 

 genns Acronycta there were the following : — leporina, megacephala (which has been 

 stated not to occur in Scotland), ligustri (in large numbers), and menyanthidis. 

 Mamestra anceps, the only representative of its genus, visited the sugar freely. Of 

 the Noctuidce many species occurred, — the best being Rusina tenehrosa (in immense 

 numbers), Agrctis porphyrea, Noctua augur (nearly black), trianguliim (a scarce 

 Bpccios in Scotland), brunnea (very common), and hella. The Hadenidce proved the 

 most numerous family, the following being taken : — Ihi^plexia hicipara (extremely 



