260 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



ARE BUTTERFLIES DISAPPEARING FROM 

 THE BRITISH ISLES? 



Mr. F. N. PIERCE. 



Mr. Eobson asks me what I have to say on this subject during 1885, and 

 I put off answering until the butterfly season had closed, in order to give a 

 more complete reply. 



Colias edusa. — I saw five specimens during 10 days in Gloucestershire. 



Argynnis aglaia. — Mr. Wilding and myself went three times to Southport 

 on July 11th, July 25th and August 8th, for this butterfly, to a certain field 

 where we knew it to have occured " in profusion towards the end of July " 

 last year, and although we searched in this particular field and all around for 

 it, we did not see a specimen. Can any one really explain this ? 



Vanessa lo. — I knocked one out of ragwort, on September 26th, at Wal- 

 lasey, while beating for pug larvae, and heard of another being taken at West 

 Kirby, and " several at Crosby/' It was very abundant in Gloucestershire. 



Satyrus cegeria. — Was in profusion at Gloucestershire this year, also in the 

 ueighbourhood of Euthlin, North Wales. 



Satyrus megcera. — I am glad to be able to report that this insect has cer- 

 tainly not decreased in number since 1884, several have been taken at Crosby, 

 Wallasey and Bidston, in fact more than last year. I had not an opportunity 

 for visiting its old locality, West Kirby, this year, so can say nothing. In 

 Gloucestershire it flew off the walls like flies. 

 Liverpool, October ; 1885. 



URTICATION CAUSED BY C. PITYOCAMPA. 



By GEO. A. HARKER. 



In the beginning of last April, I received a notice from the Post Office 

 authorites that a box containing silkworms, addressed to me, was detained at 

 the General Post Office, and if not applied for at once would be destroyed. 

 Unable to go into Liverpool that day I asked Mr. Pierce to get it for me. On 

 enquiry at the Post Office he was shewn the remains of a cardboard box, a nest 

 containing some 50 or 60 larvce, and a luggage label. The official said that 

 the caterpillars had kept him all the morning gathering them together as 

 they ran over the table. Mr. Pierce did not know what the larvse were, and 

 sent them on to me. They were in a nest as large as a man's two fists, and 

 attached to a fir branch ; the larvse were black, with two tufts of orange hair 



