258 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



was considered very late. Under stones 

 we found several species of beetles in- 

 cluding Pterostichus atriolay CycJirus 

 rostraius, and a number of shells, in- 

 cluding Helix hispida, H. aspersa, &c., 

 but owing to the dryness of the season 

 few species of MoUusca were obtained. 

 Passing along this road we ultimately 

 came to a hill side plantation which 

 consisted chiefly of young firs, &c., 

 with a fair sprinkling of older juniper 

 (Juniperus communis), which was cov- 

 ered with green berries. Of herbaceous 

 plants we found this piece of ground 

 extremely rich, especially in Orchida- 

 ceous plants. Amongst our gatherings 

 were the Purple Orchis (Orchis mascu- 

 la), the Marsh Orchis [Orchis latifolia), 

 the Butterfly Orchids [Eahenaria hifo- 

 lia and clorantha), the "bly Orchis 

 [Ophrys muscifera). This latter plant 

 we found rather uncommon, and its 

 beautiful fly-like flowers attracted the 

 attention of all present, whether botan- 

 ists or not, none of us having had the 

 pleasure of seeing it growing in its 

 native habitat before. The Tway Blade 

 [Listera ovata) some large and fine 

 specimens, Alsine verna, Galium syl- 

 vestre, Viola hirta, Hypericum monta- 

 num, the Rock Eose [Helianthemum 

 vulgar e), &c., but to enumerate all the 

 plants found here would take up too 

 much space. Here we found insects 

 more abandant than in any other 

 locality visited during the day, but 

 owing to the sun being for the most 



part obscured by the clouds and only 

 appearing in all its brightnes for a few 

 minutes occasionally, they did not fly 

 much. Of the Diurni Nemeohius lu* 

 cina was pretty common during the 

 gleams of sunshine, as was also A. 

 euphrosyne, L. alsus, the smallest of 

 British butterflies, obtained both on 

 the wing ; and by sweeping, the Com- 

 mon Blue [L, alexis)y the Dingy Skip- 

 per {H. tages), common, flying both 

 in the sunshine and the gloom ; the 

 Small Heath [C. pamphilus) abundant, 

 including one extremely light specimen. 

 Amongst the moths were E, palumharia 

 common, E. mi, P. (Biiea, E. octomacu- 

 lalis flying very rapidly in the hot sun, 

 P. purpuralis, B.fvscalis, &c. 



After spending two or three hours 

 here we again took the road for a mile 

 or so, and after crossing one or two 

 fields wert5 soon on the "Mosses^' at 

 Witherslack. A few insects were pick- 

 ed up on the road, such as P. napi, 

 A. cardamines, L. marginata, C. rus- 

 sata, P. hucephala, and other common 

 species. The most characteristic plants 

 of these "Mosses" were Birch (Betulce), 

 Buckthorn [Bhamnus frangula), Heath 

 [Erica), Wild Eosemary [Andromeda 

 polifolia), Sweet Gale [Myrica gale), 

 Cranberry [Vaccinium oxycoccos), Sun- 

 dew [Drosera rotundi/olia), Bog Asp- 

 hodel [Narthecium ossifragum), &c. 

 "Pew insects were observed here, the 

 most noteworthy being F. piniaria and 

 T, variaia, amongst pine, together with 



