THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



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be the case on referring to them on my return home. Newman, in his 

 " British Butterflies/' says — " This butterfly seems to be absent from Scot- 

 land and Ireland, but to be generally, although sparingly, diffused throughout 



the midland and eastern counties of England In England its rarity in 



the north and extreme south-west is very noticable." Stainton mentions no 

 Scotch localities in his list ; while Coleman says, " In some places and 

 seasons it is not rare, but is very uncertain in its appearance, abounding most 

 in the southern districts, and being almost unknown in Scotland/' He does 

 not, unfortunately, mention any Scotch localities. At present I know of no 

 previous record from Scotland, and should be glad to know if any specimen 

 has been captured there to the knowledge of any of the readers of the Young 

 Naturalist. The most northerly captures recorded by Newman are one 

 specimen in each of the counties of Cumberland, Durham, and Lancashire. 

 It seems a curious feature in connection with this insect that it almost always 

 occurs singly, and the above authority adds " in the very numerous records I 

 have received more than half speak of single specimens/' It is, therefore, 

 not surprising that I should have met with only one. The specimen is in 

 fairly good condition, but it differs somewhat in colour from the English 

 specimens of this species which I have in my collection. One would hardly 

 expect to meet with this southern insect so far north-west, but it is only a 

 further evidence of the very prolific nature of the district in uncommon and 

 rare lepidoptera. My friend, the Be v. Dr. Walker, of London, who was col- 

 lecting with me in Knapdale, took a specimen of the Speckled Wood (Satj/- 

 rus egeria) at Tayvallich, and I find Newman, in speaking of the distribution 

 of this species in Scotland, says that " In Scotland it has not been recorded 

 beyond the north of Argyllshire/' It seems that if anything is rare in Scot- 

 land one has only to visit this secluded and little-worked district to find it ! 

 Perhaps we may look for the Large Copper next summer, and, of course, not 

 find it! — John Mackay, Kingston, Glasgow. 



[Polychloros is but an occasional visitor in the north, and the only pre- 

 vious record of its occurrence in Scotland is of one taken in Aberdeenshire, 

 see the "Scottish Naturalist/' Vol.1. In 1769 it was given, in the 

 " Natural History and Antiquities of Northumberland," as a native of that 

 county, but up to 1858, when Mr. Wailes' " Catalogue of the Butterflies of 

 Northumberland," no other record existed. During the last 30 years a few 

 stray specimens have been found in both these counties, but without any 

 reason to suppose they were other than wanderers from their native habitat. 

 From Cumberland a single specimen only is recorded, and Lancashire supplies 

 one record also. — Ed, Y.N.] 



