170 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



On Friday morning, 16th July, my friend Mr. McGrouther and myself left 

 Glasgow by the splendid steamer " Columbia," and reached Ardrishaig about 

 1 p.m. Here we found that the carrier's gig was already fully engaged, so 

 taking the canal boat we sailed along the Crinan to Cairnbann Hotel, and 

 from thence walked over the hills, a distance of some nine miles, to Tay- 

 vallick, reaching our destination quite as soon as the mail gig. Having 

 previously engaged lodgings at the house of our good friend the schoolmaster, 

 we were here entertained to a most refreshing tea, after which we put a few 

 chip-boxes in our pockets, and went out to see what insects were on the wing. 

 Our captures consisted chiefly of species of little note, such as Rectus, Mar- 

 garitata, Immanata, Prqpugnata, Rkomboidaria, etc., and as the night was 

 rather cold, we did not search for insects very particularly. 



Next morning we were up betimes, for nothing is more delightful and re- 

 freshing in the Highlands, than to take a walk on a bright and still morning 

 before the people are moving about, and when everything is so peaceful and 

 beautiful all around. There is a peculiar grandeur in Highland scenery 

 which can only be thoroughly appreciated in the early hours of the morning, 

 there is then nothing to detract the attention, and the great and " Everlasting 

 Hills" may be seen reposing in all their impressive dignity, their rugged 

 crests crowned with a circlet of dewy mist. Breakfast over and vasculse 

 packed with collecting apparatus, we walked along the road leading to Tay- 

 nish, and soon reached the moor, where last year, 1 had taken a large number 

 of C. davus. To our extreme disappointment we found that the heath had 

 been since burned, and our most careful search, resulted in only a few speci- 

 mens being taken. L. alexis and S.janira were flitting about sparingly, and 

 were not anywhere in the same profusion as I saw them last year. Our first 

 capture of any importance was Acidalia fuinata, which occasionally turned up 

 on the moor. In the ditch alongside the road H. stagnalis was rather common, 

 but Nympkcealis was very scarce. Some nice specimens of Crambus pascuellus 

 were also taken on the moor, and in marshy fields. Leaving the heath, we 

 passed the keeper's house, and entered a tract of fine wooded country. Here 

 some beautiful specimens of A. aglaia were seen, but we could not get near 

 enough to net any. While collecting here, two types of Plusia V-aureum 

 started up from the grass, and these were speedily netted. As it was now 

 near one o'clock, we decided to return home for dinner, and while doing so 

 my friend took a rubbed specimen of A, selene, at the very spot where last 

 year I took a similar bad one. 



At five o'clock, the carrier's gig was seen approaching the village, and 

 hastening to meet it we met our friend Mr. A. Stewart, laden with bag, 

 sketching materials, etc. Relieving him of some of his parcels, we returned 



