118 



The Naturalist. 



well known, the imago generally seeks tlie highest point of ground in 

 its district ; and hence it is easily taken in numbers in this particular 

 locality. For through the highest part of the collecting ground is 

 fortunately a sufficiently wide drive with most suitable oak trees 

 growing along each side, and there the Chattenden Iris congregate. 

 Armed with nets fixed at the end of long poles, we used to wait for 

 them in the drive ; and most exciting it is, and to a lepidopterist one 

 of his gTeatest treats to see one of these grand butterflies come skim- 

 ming and gliding over the oaks, and then settle with its brilliant wings, 

 the purple glistening in the sun, as is usually the case, at the end of 

 one of the outermost side twigs of an oak. It then requires a cool 

 head to secure the prize, as using a net at the end of a twelve- 

 feet pole is altogether a different thing from using our ordinary 

 pocket nets. After one or two failures, however, the thing is done, 

 and afterwards there is but little trouble, as Iris is by no means so 

 difficult to net as is generally supposed. I have known one collector 

 secure towards 40 during four or five following days at Chattenden. 



But to give such detailed accounts of all the interesting species that 

 occur in this locality would take up a great many more pages of the 

 Naturalist than can be spared, so we must refer to a few of them but 

 briefly. I have not visited the locality before the middle of May, nor 

 later than the last week in July, consequently all the species alluded 

 to in this article occur in one stage or another during the two months 

 between those dates. Besides Iris the butterflies include Antliocharis 

 cardamines ; MelitcBa Athalin^ about the ash plantations ; Vanessa urtica, 

 polycliloros, and Atalanta all common ; the beautiful Arge GalatJiea in 

 abundance in the open corners of the woods ; Satyrus Mgeria^ Janira, 

 Tithomis^ and HyperantJms all abundant, with Megcera less commonly ; 

 CJiortobiiis Pamphilus ; 'iJiecla quercv,s and W -alburn^ both plentiful, the 

 former about the oaks, the latter about the elms ; Polyommatus Phloeas^ 

 Lycoena Alexis^ SyrichtJms Alveolus, Thanaos Tages; and Hesperia Sylvanus 

 and linea, both " skipping" about the rides in plenty. The Nocturni are 

 also well represented. Stsia myopaformis abundant in the apple 

 orchards at Strood ; Zeuzera oesculi, Zygmia lonicerce and filipendaloe ; 

 Nola cucullatella and albulalis , the beautiful Colligenia miniata ; 

 Lithosia mesomella, rather common; EucJielia Jacobeot; Euthemonia 

 russula ; Liparis clirysorrhoea and auripm both common, the former on 

 the hedges between Higham and Chattenden ; Orgyia pudibunda and 

 antiqua ; Trichiura cratcegi, larvte on the whitethorn hedges between 

 Higham and Chattenden ; Bombyx neustria in profusion ; rubi and 

 querciis ; and Lasiocampa quercifolia. 



