THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



common species. The heather produced 

 a few small specimens of C. testaia, and 

 an occasional S. hybridalis, while in larvae 

 it was almost unproductive. I spent 

 much time, both in the mornings and 

 evenings sweeping, but my success con- 

 sisted in a few larvae of A . myrtilli, H. pisi, 

 E. nanata and others of the Eupithecia, with 

 a few geometers. But the work was very 

 disappointing. One evening towards the 

 end of the week I beat a larva of B. mbi 

 from out a sallow bush, and on examining 

 the heather was successful in finding other 

 three of the same species. 



The ragwort also received systematic 

 attention both morning, noon, afternoon 

 and evening, but the total result of my 

 week's work in this department was two 

 rubbed H. micacea. Beating the ragwort, 

 however, proved more renumerative than 

 examining it. I took a good many larvae by 

 beating the plants fnto a large sheet of 

 paper ; and nettles, sallow, and other plants 

 also proved remunerative when examined 

 in this way. V. cardui was said to have 

 been very common in July and August, but 

 I only saw one which I took, during my 

 stay. A fir wood on the road to Whiting 

 Bay yielded some exceedingly pretty varie- 

 ties of C. immanata, and about a dozen Thera 

 firmata. I also netted one badly rubbed L. 

 olivata, which flew out from the wood by 

 the shore. In one spot I came across a 

 swarm of the larvae of Arctia fuliginosa, and 

 took a good few. I first noticed them while 

 examining the ragwort at night, and found 

 them feeding in great numbers on it. In 

 this small enclosed spot I saw about a couple 

 of hundreds of them, along with a few odd 

 A . lubricipeda, and others. 



In beetles, Geotrupes vevnalis, and C. cam- 

 pestris were very common; and so com- 

 pletely had we ignored the fact of there 

 being adders on the island, that it was only 

 when I had nearly trampled on a big fellow, 

 that lay basking in an open sandy place, 



that we became aware of the danger that 

 was associated with careless tramping 

 through the heather. We did not see any 

 more, but we must have, during the course 

 of our peregrination, been many times in 

 very close contact to them, as they abound 

 on the hiUs round about Lamlash, and a 

 friend tells me that he captured four 

 during a visit he paid to this place in August, 

 and took them to the Glasgow Museum 

 alive. However, the less we see of these 

 creatures the more we are likely to have a 

 better opinion of them. 



Micro lepidoptera were quite as scarce as 

 the macros. I only saw a few and these 

 were as follows : — Peronea compaviana, and 

 variegana, S. virgaureana, X. fabriciana and 

 several of the Tinea. 



In my opinion, the best time to visit 

 Arran for successful collecting is in the 

 third week in June, or stiil better, the third 

 week in July. Insects and larva at these 

 periods swarm, and one may certainly 

 depend on taking Plusia interrogationis and 

 others of this family ; C. russata, L. casiata 

 E. nanata, and several others of the 

 Eupithecia ; S. belgiaria, C. populata (very 

 dark varieties), plagiata, A. myrtilli, C. plan- 

 taginis, B. quercus, S. carpini, A. fumata, A. 

 aglaia, selene, C. davus and hosts of other 

 species too numerous to mention, not for- 

 getting the opportunity the collector has of 

 turning up E. epiphvon again. Arran is 

 certainly a splendid collecting ground, and 

 an energetic, collector will never go away 

 disappointed for want of insects, if he visits 

 the island at the season I mention. There are 

 so many vast stretches of moorland that have 

 never been examined, that a collector has 

 every opportunity of turning up varieties in 

 numbers, and the pine and fir wood should 

 prove well worth visiting. I was sorry that 

 my visit was not more successful, but I 

 hope next year to have a longer and a better 

 story to relate of moorland collecting and 

 full store boxes. 



