206 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



their season ; the females of the two first were very busy in depositing their 

 eggs on cabbages and other plants, to hatch in due time into larvae, to be 

 served in due course at table with our cauliflowers, in order to add a zest to 

 the meal. Anthocaris cardamines was at times a not unwelcome visitor. 



Of the Vanessas, I may mention Urtica, Polychloros, lo, Atalanta, and 

 CarduL 1 would here allude to two or three plants which form especially 

 attractive baits for this family, to wit, a species of Sedum,, and the herbs thyme, 

 marjoram, &c. My good friend, Mr. Alfred Lloyd, of the Dome, Bognor, 

 has a bed with a quantity of the Sedum in front of his house, and on sunny 

 days the flowers are frequented by swarms of Tortoiseshells (Vanessa urtica), 

 Peacocks (Vanessa io), &c,, which become so tame that they may be taken 

 gently between the fingers, detained for a while, and then replaced upon the 

 flowers. I am disposed to surmise that the honey has somewhat of an in- 

 toxicating, or soporific effect upon them, producing an apparent tameness. 



Pararge (Pyrarga) megara was common about a sunny bank, looking so 

 strangely like a Eritillary. This with Epinephele janira, E. tithonus, and 

 Canonympka pampkilus, formed the little band of Satyrs. 



Polyommatus phlceas, in glittering copper, flashing in the sun, was not un- 

 frequent in its visits, in company with its near relatives the Blues, Lycana 

 cego7i i bright with silver studs ; and the more beautiful but common Lyccena 

 icarus, L. agestis (astrarche), in sober brown, dull, and out of place amongst 

 his congeners in their azure mantles gay, was there too. 



I he Skippers, the curious connecting link between the true butterflies and 

 moths, were represented by Hesperia linea and sylvanus. 



We now come to the Moths (Heterocera). Amongst the group of Noc- 

 turni, I have seen and captured the charming Eyed Hawk -moth (Smerinlhus 

 ocellatus), the Lime Hawk-moth (S. Mice), the Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx 

 ligustri), the Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossa stellatarnm) , grace- 

 fully poised at dusk on rapidly vibrating wing, over the corolla of some 

 attractive flower, whilst with extended proboscis it sucks the honey from its 

 mouth. And a pigmy amongst giants, in the hottest sunshine, is the curious 

 little Clear-wing (Sesia tipaliformis) , skimming like a gnat over currant 

 bushes. These make up a fair representative asseniblage of the Sphingidse 

 and Sesidse. 



Plenty of Ghost Swifts (Hepialus famuli) were to be seen about mid- 

 summer, flitting over grass " in the gloaming." The eggs of this species 

 when first extruded are snowy white, but quickly turn black upon exposure 

 to the air, when they resemble coarse grains of gunpowder. 



In a little shrubbery, the pretty little Muslin moth ( Nudaria mnndana) is 

 to be met with every year, somewhat later in the season, together with the 



