THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



197 



tree trunks, while scores of common geometers | 

 may be found, but they have been already 

 named elsewhere, or are not worth naming. 

 Many of the PseuJo Bombyees may be found 

 here in the larva state. D.furcula, bifida, and 

 v inula, P. bucepkala, N. camelina, dictuea, dietce- I 

 oides, dromedarius, and ziczac. A few Noctua 

 also occur, not previously named — 0. dupluris 

 rare; H. popularis common; M. areuosa, 

 among grass; T. fimbria, A', brunnea, T. pint- ' 

 Stria once ; 0. lota, A. herbida, and nebulosa, ! 

 not rare, and very many others already j 

 named. All the swifts (Hepialus) may be got I 

 here, and the variety carnus is sometimes | 

 taken. I have not named butterflies, but, j 

 besides the commonest sorts, I have seen ! 

 A. aglaia rarely, V. c-album, Io, Atalanta, S. 

 hyperanthus, and once the variety Arete. 

 Several of the genus Lycana, and H. sylvan us 

 once. A. mphrosyne is certain to occur, but I 

 leave never seen it out of the Castle Eden 

 Dene. T. charophylata is common in damp 

 grassy places. A. candidata is common, • 

 while of E. heparata I have only taken three ! 

 specimens in all the years I have collected on 

 it. S. lunar ia is rare, IUustvavia has not yet i 

 been found, but is certain to turn up. for 1 

 have taken it elsewhere not far off. //. 

 peunavia and M. albicillata are both said to 

 have been taken, but I have not seen them, 

 it is probably correct though, for they both 

 occur in the district. Very little occurs in 

 Castle Eden Dene that we have not taken in 

 Crimdon, but there are a few we have not 

 met with yet, and some that do not seem to 

 occur, though Crimdon Dene terminates at 

 Castle Eden, and within a mile of the Dene itself. 

 T. lobulata is one of these species. It is com- 

 mon in Castle Eden, and is so conspicuous 

 on the trunks of the leafless trees, that it 

 could not have escaped notice all these years. 

 Euphrosyne is common in Castle Eden, and I 

 feel sure I could find it in Crimdon if it were 

 worth the search, but there is one butterfly 

 in Castle Eden Dene, and common in all the 

 .woods around, that certainly does not fly in 

 the other, and that I have failed in trans- 



planting to it, though I have set at liberty in 

 suitable places, females that were undoubtedly 

 impregnated, as well as putting down ova. 

 I refer to Erebia blandina, where this occur, 

 it occurs in large numbers, and it is so com- 

 mon throughout Castle Eden Dene, and in 

 the adjoining woods that it seems strange it 

 has never reached the other. Yet it is so 

 local that I know two woods divided only by 

 a turnpike, and in one it may be taken by 

 hundreds, and in the other there are none at 

 all. In Castle Eden too V. c-albiim is much 

 more abundant than in Crimdon Dene, and 

 it is a pretty sight to see a large number of 

 them flying about the Knapweed. Castle 

 Eden Dene is more famous for its botanical 

 treasures than the other, but I must not 

 attempt a list of them. The very rarest, if 

 not the rarest of all British wild flowers is the 

 Lady's-slipper orchid ( 'Cypripcdhim calceolus) 

 which now grows only in one sequestred 

 wood, known but to very few, and which I 

 dare not divulge lest unscrupulous collectors 

 tear up the last root of this lovely flower. 



1 have now given a rough outline sketch of 

 our collecting ground, and the species we 

 take. I have not been careful to enumerate 

 everything, but I think I may safely say that 

 Hartlepool is a good collecting ground. I 

 have begun at the old town, and gone north- 

 ward only, and except in the Denes I have 

 never gone four miles from home, yet I have 

 given a list of species that will bear com- 

 parison with many a more famous locality, 

 and though I have collected here for twenty 

 years, I have never had a year pass without 

 making some addition to our fauna. Yet a 

 more unpropitious looking place could not 

 well be found. Out of the Dene we have not 

 a tree, and scarcely a hedge. Trees will net 

 bear the bitter north-east blast, that blows so 

 unrelentingly in the winter months, they 

 cannot grow in the sandy arid soil of the 

 coast. The Corporation of the town have 

 tried to plant hardy trees even in sheltered 

 places, but utterly without success. Not for 

 a second year are they allowed to put forth 



