"3 



A MAY-DAY ON 

 MAW-RIQQ (NEAR LANGDALE END). 



Rev. W. C. HEY. M.A., 



West Ayton, near Scarborough, Yorkshire. 



It is the 20th of May. The wind blows soft but cool from the 

 south-east. The sun beams from a cloudless pale blue sky. The 

 approach to the moor is brilliant with the golden foliage of 

 Sycamores and the graceful white festoons of the Bird-Cherry. 

 Once on to the moor, and the only vegetation that rises con- 

 spicuously above the still dead heather consists of small isolated 

 Birch trees and scattered Whin bushes in the height of their 

 golden glory. The ground has become dry from the long con- 

 tinuance of sunny east winds, but the patches of Sphagnum are 

 still moist, and resetted over with the dew-spangled Droseras 

 {D. rotund if alia). As we tramp on an aromatic scent rises 

 from our footsteps, and, looking down, we notice the fragrant 

 catkins of the Sweet Gale, but the leaf is still dormant. A little 

 higher and we pass through dwarf thickets of Bilberrv, bearing 

 its pale crimson, urn-shaped flowers. Here and there are seen 

 the bright box-like leaves of the red Whortleberry (Vaccinium 

 vifis-id&a), but the delicate clustered flowers are still a week 

 from opening. In grassy spots are spread pink carpets of 

 Lousewort, contrasted with a few blue spikes of Milkwort. Bv 

 the bank of the moorland stream the soft golden flowers of the 

 Colt's-foot are still gay. Down in the valley it has long since 

 passed from flower to downy pappus, and gone to make feather- 

 beds for the young birds. 



Insects are numerous and conspicuous. I once remarked 

 that Thecla rubi was just like an animated Birch leaf. To-day 

 I observed that the butterflies seemed to be aware of the fact 

 themselves, for again and again I noticed them render them- 

 selves invisible by alighting' among the foliage of the little Birch 

 trees that stud the moor. Emperor Moths came flying past; all of 

 these appeared to be males, but I found a female on the heather 

 in the company of a male. It was not a great day for beetles, as 

 all the little bogs and rills were dry, but I took one insect I had 

 not taken before — Stapliylinus ccesareus, a large rove beetle, 

 with blood-red thorax, fringed about with pale gold silk. Mr. 

 R. Lawson had, however, recorded it for the Scarborough 

 district many years ago. 



1902 April 1. 



