219 



The principal localities, though, are Lulworth Cove and the Burning Cliff, on 

 the "Dorset coast, where they may sometimes be found in plenty, settling on 

 the wood brome grass (Brachypodium sylvaticum), on which the caterpillars 

 feed. 



This interesting addition to our meagre list of British butterflies, was made 

 by my father, on August 15th, 1832. On that day he captured no less than 

 three species new to Britain, viz. : Hesperia Aclcson, Habitophagus Curtisii, 

 and Eucyrtus Mirabilis. The middle one belongs to the interesting and 

 curious order of bee parasites, to which the Rev. W. Kirby gave the name of 

 Strepsiptera. It is one of the rarest of our British species, there being only 

 two specimens in existence, and both captured by my father. The last is one 

 of the parasitical Hymenoptera. 



Hesperia actceon was first figured and described as a British species on the 

 2nd of March, 1833, by John Curtis, in his " British Entomology/' and the 

 name of the " Lulworth Skipper" bestowed upon it, accompanied by the 

 following letterpress : " The insect at the top of the plate is the male, the 

 other flying the female ; the male at rest is represented of the natural size. 

 We cannot often hope to record the addition of a butterfly to our British 

 Fauna, but this species was discovered at Lulworth Cove, in Dorsetshire, last 

 August, by J. C. Dale, Esq., through whose liberality it now ornaments most 

 of our cabinets : it was found upon thistles, and was very local." 



The exact place where the first specimen was captured is called Durdle Dove, 

 and is situated to the west of Lulworth Cove. 



Stephens, in his " Illustrations " — Appendix — published in 1834, writes, 

 "I am indebted to the Eev. J. Lockey for this species ; it was found by him 

 in plenty near the Burning Cliff, in Dorsetshire : it has also been previously 

 taken at Lulworth Cove, in the same county, in August." 



Messrs. Humphreys and Westwood, in their " British Butterflies," 1841, 

 writes, " This extremely local species was discovered in August, 1832, by 

 J. C. Dale, Esq., near Lulworth Cove, in Dorsetshire, in considerable num- 

 bers, frequenting thistles. It has since been found by the Rev. J. Lockey, 

 near the Burning Cliff, in Dorsetshire, in plenty." 



Mr. S. Stephens, in a communication to the "Zoologist," Vol. V., 1847, 

 writes, "This Skipper, which has been so scarce for the last eight or ten years, 

 I had the pleasure of taking on the 2nd of August last in plenty under the 

 Burning Cliff, on the coast of Dorsetshire, between five and six miles from 

 Weymouth ; I found a few on the flowers of the thistle and ragwort, but most 

 on the flowers of a carex, which grew in clusters close to the beach. The insect 

 was extremely local, being confined to a space of about one hundred yards. 

 Mr. Dale, who kindly told me the locality whilst on a visit to his place, has 



