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THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [o 



Vanessa atalanta. — This butterfly has scarcely been seen in this 

 neighbourhood for a quarter of a century. This year it is most 

 abundant even in the town. My daughter saw six at a sunflower in 

 a garden on the cliff, and a day rarely passes without specimens being 

 brought me by childron who expect pennies for all they bring. Urtica 

 swarms in the town. — John E. Robson, Hartlepool. 



Doubleday's List, ist Edition. — My Doubleday List is Second 

 Edition, 1859, with all the errors mentioned corrected. The first 

 8 pages are marked b. and the last f., and the title is — 

 " The Exchange Synonymic List of British Butterflies and Moths by 

 Henry Doubleday. The arrangement and nomenclature by M. Guenee. 

 Second Edition with Supplement. London : Edward Newman, 9, 

 Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate. Second Edition, 1859; Supplement, 

 1868. Price Sixpence." 



G. C. Bignell, Stonehouse, Plymouth. 



The enquiry was made respecting the First Edition of Doubleday's 

 List. Mr. Bignell's note refers to what may be called the second 

 issue of the Second Edition. The Second Edition was issued in 1859. 

 It was called " The Zoologist Synonymic List," otherwise the title is 

 as quoted above, except that there is no reference to the Supplement, 

 which appeared in 1868. A second Supplement was issued in 1873, 

 but I have not seen a copy of the List bound up with this for sale. 



Your copy of Doubleday's List of British Lepidoptera, is, I should 

 hope, quite unique in its irregularity. My copy contains none of the 

 peculiarities you write of. It was purchased from time to time as it 

 appeared. I was at the time a particular friend of Edward Newman, 

 the printer. I have also the first supplement, 1865, and the second 

 supplement (including the first), 1866. The only omission of con- 

 sequence that was noticed at the time of publication was that of the 

 omission of Tovtvix corylana page 21, As you say the pages 1 — 8 are 

 on paper without any blue tint, all the others are printed on bluish 

 paper, 9 — 27. — J. Jenner Weir, Chirbury, Kent. 



Coleoptera in the London District. — During a few weeks 

 stay in London, I made five excursions to various localities for 

 Coleoptera, but, owing to the very dry season, my captures did not 

 amount to much. My first excursion was to Mitcham Common, on 

 August 21st, I was very much disappointed to find that all the ponds 

 and ditches were quite dried up, and there was nothing to be obtained 

 on the Common with the exception of a few Onthophagus fracticomis 

 and Aphodius rufescens. The second outing ; to Boxhill, on August 

 24th ; was rather more successful. By sweeping I obtained the local 

 Thyamis distinguenda in abundance, also a few Apthona herbigrada, 

 Haltica ericeti, Agelastica halensis, Aptevopeda globosa (1), Ceuthorvhynchus 



