60 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



the collector of that day may only expect to fill his series by the chance 

 occurrence of immigrants or from Foreign examples. There seems equally 

 strong reasons to believe that butterflies were formerly much more nnmerous 

 here, and that most, if not all of the " reputed" species, were at one time true 

 natives of our islands, along with many others of whose occurrence no record 

 exists. I will deal first with the existing list, and I will endeavour to classify 

 those I name under different heads. 



The British Butterflies as at present on our lists are sixty-four in number. 



1. Extinct (1). 



Polyommattjs Hippothce was formerly abundant in some of the fens. 

 It has not been taken for quarter of a century, and is not likely to 

 be met with again. The fens have been, too carefully collected over, for it to 

 be possible that it should still exist in any unexplored portion. It does not 

 occur on. the Continent iu the same form as the English type. The Contin- 

 ental form is known as var. Butilus, and is far from common. Indeed, 

 London dealers appear to have a difficulty in obtaining it to sell as " types, " 

 for some send out P. Chryseis instead. 



II. Immigrants that do not Breed Here (3). 



1. Pieris Daplidice occasionally crosses from the French coast to the nearest 

 English land. Only the second brood even appears to reach us — perhaps the 

 migrating tendency does not obtain with the first. Eggs may occasionally 

 be deposited, but there is no evidence that I have seen to lead us to think 

 they ever reach maturity. The species must have been more abundant 

 formerly, for it is called the Bath White, which points to its occurrence in 

 the neighbourhood of Bath, as a matter of general knowledge, and it never 

 seems to reach that district now. 



2. Argynnis Lathonia is equally rare with the last, and reaches our shores 

 in an equally uncertain manner. Whether the eggs are . deposited or not we 

 cannot tell, but they certainly do not reach maturity often. 



3. Vanessa Antiopa appears to come to us from Sweden, at least such is 

 the opinion of no less an authority than Mr. Stainton. It does not come 

 singly like the other two, but in a large swarm, which spread themselves all 

 over the country. Hundreds of specimens are sometimes taken when this occurs. 

 At other times only a few reach us, and but one or two are taken, but that 

 these are part of a larger flight, is evident from the fact that they are found 

 in widely separated places. This species sometimes hybernates here, but it is 

 rarely seen in the spring. I have in my collection an example that came out 

 from some brush the woodmen were burning near Castle Eden, in the month 

 of February. I believe the larvae has never been taken here, and after the 



