THE YOUNG NATUKALIST. 



143 



and others said that their experience was the same and a discussion ensued. 

 Mr. Tutt read an article, by Mr. Cockerall, from the " Canadian Entomolo- 

 gist/' for May, on " The Nature of Seasonal Dimorphism in Rhopalocera." 

 Mr. J. T. Williams mentioned that in the neighbourhood of Foots Cray, 

 Kent, the larvse of Bombyx neustria was unusually abundant, also that he had 

 noticed a number of hybernated specimens of Vanessa cardui, Mr. Carring- 

 ton and Mr. Tutt also recorded the appearance of V. cardui, and referred to 

 large number of Plusia gamma noticed in different districts. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



The Sturgeon at Hartlepool. — A Sturgeon was brought to the fish 

 quay here, to-day, by a trawler. It was a fine fish, measuring six feet in 

 length, and was still alive when I saw it about mid-day. This is the third 

 that has been brought here to my knowledge within a twelvemonth. — John 

 E. Kobson, Hartlepool, 1st June. 



Abundance of certain species of Lepidoptera. — Vanessa cardui has 

 appeared this season in enormous numbers. Here in the North of England, 

 they have swarmed even in our streets. The weather has been cold, dull, and 

 unpropitious, but they have been everywhere. It is curious, too, that they 

 are accompanied by Plusia gamma, as has happened before. When they first 

 appeared, both species were exceedingly fine, and had not the appearance of 

 hybernated specimens. From almost every correspondent I have the same 

 particulars — the sudden appearance of both species, and the fine condition 

 they were in. No doubt we will hear more about them later on. One cor- 

 respondent writes that Cardui was abundant last spring, but that he found 

 few larvse on the thistles. 



Another butterfly, Antlirocaris cardamines, has also appeared in very unusual 

 numbers in many places. At Eedhill, Surrey, it is reported as a common gar- 

 den insect. At Dover, Mr. Webb writes, it is most abundant, and that a 

 specimen has been taken with the wing tips yellow instead of orange. At 

 Leatherhead it is also common, and elsewhere. In this district it is more 

 abundant than I ever saw it. Sometimes we scarcely meet with it for years. 

 : Last year I saw one only, now it is almost as common as the whites. Mr. 

 Barron, of Hutton Henry, saw five on a small flower bed at once. I would 

 be pleased to know if the abundance of this species has extended to the West 

 of the Island and to Scotland. The female is rarer than the male at all times. 



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