THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



215 



grade of organization." Dr. Staudinger gives 

 the Lycamidce precedence over all but the 

 Papilionidce, but to us the arrangement does 

 not seem natural. Matters of arrangement de- 

 pend so much on indi- idual taste and judg- 

 ment, and the import i:ice different minds 

 attach to different points of affinity, that it is 

 not probable any consecutive order will ever 

 be universally adopted, but this is compara- 

 tively of small importance, if the genera and 

 species are properly placed. In all groups 

 some forms are closely allied with those of 

 other groups, and having one characteristic 

 in common, and others another. This is ex- 

 actly what we would expect to find if all 

 these genera and species had a common 

 origin. The affinities of the Hesperidai, with 

 some of the Hcterocera has made nearly every 

 writer place this family last, and if the butter- 

 flies must be arranged in such order that 

 each family shall be closely allied with those 

 preceding and succeeding it than with others, 

 perhaps Mr. Kirby's arrangement is the best. 

 Believing however that the Papilionidoe are 

 most perfectly organised, we give them pre- 

 cedence over all others. 



(To be continued.) 



LEPIDOPTERA IN MAY. 



(We should be obliged for eggs, larva}, or pupoz 

 of any of those marked thus *— Eds.) 

 The very long list of species now on the 

 wing makes it absolutly necessary to be ex- 

 ceedingly brief in our remarks. We therefore 

 refer to page 180, No. 20. for introduction, 

 Papilio Machaon. — The Swallow Tail occurs 

 now in Wicken Fen, and perhaps in some 

 others. 



Pier is Daplidice* .—The Bath White. One 

 of our rarest butterflies, and the spring brood 

 is particularly scarce. It occur ; sometimes 

 in fields, Sec, on the South Coast. 



ArgynnisEuph rosy ne*. — The Pearl Bordered 

 Fritillary occurs in woods, &c, and is 

 generally common. 



Melitcea Artemis. — The Greasy Fritillary flies 

 n damp meadows, where the Devil's Bit 



I Scabious occurs. It seems to change its quar- 

 I ters every season and is extremely local, 

 1 though widely distributed. 



MiliiaBd Cinxia. — The Glanville Fritillary is 



extremely local, and confined to the South 



Coast. 



Satyr us Megcsr a. — The Wall flies in country 

 I lanes and other grassy places. These butter- 

 flies as well as 5. JEgeria have disappeared from 

 many places where the)' used to occur freely. 



Cosnonympha Pamphilus* . — The Small Heath 

 is abundant in lanes, fields, &c, 



Lycana Medon (-Agcstis.) — The Brown Argus is 

 double-brooded in the South, the first appear- 

 ing in May, when it is said to feed on the 

 ! Storksbill (Erodium cic-dartum) . In the north 

 it feeds on Rock Rose (Helianthemum Vulgare) 

 j and does not emerge till June is well ad- 

 vanced. It is very common in waste places. 

 Lyccena Adonis*. — The Clifden Blue is con- 

 i fined to the South, but is common is places 

 ; where chalk or limestone occurs. 



Lycana Alsus*. — The Small Blue is not un- 

 common, and widely distributed. It does not 

 appear till the very end of the month or till 

 June. 



Nemeobius Lucina*. — The Duke of Bcrgundy 

 Fritillary ; June. Pathways in woods. Most 

 likely to occur where Primroses and Cowslips 

 are common. Widely distributed. 



Syrichthus Alveolus* . — The Grizzled Skipper 

 occurs commonly in most places in England, 

 but not in Ireland, and is rare in Scotland. 

 AVoods and fields, near bramble. 



Thanaos Tages* . — The Dingy Skipper. Dry 

 banks, &c, where the Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus 

 corniculatus) grows. Common in most places. 



Hespcria Sylvanus* . — The Orange Skipper is 

 another abundant species, though not found 

 so freely in the North as in the South. 



Of the Larger Hawk Moths the following 

 are found this month or next : Smerinthus 

 ocdlatus, populi, and tiliee at rest on trees or 

 palings near them ; D. lineata* , (?) C.porcellus* , 

 flying to flowers at dusk ; M. fucifovmis* and 

 bombyliformis flying in the sun. 



A further list will be given next week. 



