LINCOLNSHIEE COAST LEPIDOPTERA. 

 By G. T. Porritt, F.L.S. 



Encouraged by the graphic description of the charms (!) of the Lincoln- 

 shire Coast, given by the Rev. W. Fowler, M.A., in his paper on 

 " Lincolnshire Coast Plants," published at p. 129 of Vol. IlL of this 

 Journal, Mr. C. W. Richardson and myself determined to spend a 

 few days investigating its lepidopterous fauna. The 16th July last, 

 therefore, found us on our way, per Great Northern Railway, to 

 Skegness, a place which until the last year or two had scarcely been 

 heard of by anyone outside Lincolnshire, but which, thanks to the 

 enterprise of the Earl of Scarborough, and the Great Northern 

 Railway Company, seems destined to become, and that very rapidly, 

 a popular seaside resort. Within the last few years several large 

 hotels have sprung up ; and there are already wide streets with 

 well-built houses and villa residences in plenty ; whilst all the 

 ordinary seaside attractions are in contemplation, some indeed already 

 in existence. 



Though I have headed this paper " Lincolnshire Coast Lepidoptera," 

 the title is rather a misnomer, as the whole of our collecting was 

 confined to the neighbourhood of Skegness. Very likely, however, 

 the misnomer is more apparent than real, for, as Mr. Fowler says, the 

 coast is of wonderfully uniform character throughout its entire course ; 

 and, in all probability the insect fauna varies very little, less indeed 

 than on any other equal extent of coast in Britain ! Some variation 

 would no doubt be found on the mudflats prevailing at different parts ; 

 at Skegness there being nothing but sand-hills. The little work 

 which has been done at Cleethorpes, the only other part of its coast 

 at which anything seems to have been done, quite confirms this 

 supposition, allowance being made for its more northerly position. 



Mr. Fowler, in the paper alluded to above has already given us a 

 list of the various plants occurring on the coast, consequently, it is 

 needless in this short article to again allude to them. Its lepidopterous 

 fauna, on first thought, is rather peculiar, including, as it does, 

 several species usually supposed to be fen or marsh insects only. 

 The weather up to the time of our visit had been very wet and 

 unsettled, but we were, nevertheless, very much surprised to find one 

 such species, Nudaria senex, very abundant in spots which in fine 

 weather we imagined would be like the Lancashire and other 

 N. S., Vol. v.— Mar., 1880, 



