182 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
young birches, while Gnophria rubri- 
collis wheeled around the summits of the 
yews. Feeling by this time somewhat 
weary I drew forth my lunch, and, re- 
clining under a friendly yew and oak that 
mingled their branches overhead, resolved 
to make myself comfortable. This, how- 
ever the Diptera would by no means per- 
mit, and, observing how they assaulted 
my sandwiches, I wounded a corpulent 
gooseberry, and placed it in front of me 
on the grass, at the same time making 
the sandwich -suckers retreat. A large 
bluebottle settled about eight inches from 
the gooseberry, and, after rubbing his 
hands, made a leap forwards of about 
three inches ; other blue and green bottles 
now advanced from various quarters, and 
gathered around the prey: the first blue- 
bottle darted upon the gooseberry and 
buried his tongue in the pulp : two green- 
bottles followed his example, and were 
quickly succeeded by others of different 
sorts and sizes, till at length the whole 
gooseberry was completely hidden by 
struggling flies. Now was the time to 
improve upon the proverb of “killing 
two birds with one stone,” — with one 
stone I resolved to immolate thirty at the 
least. I picked up a large flint, and let 
it drop exactly on the gooseberry; but, 
on lifting it, one bluebottle and two small 
flits were all the slain ! The agility of 
these creatures is truly wonderful, and 
their courage is scarcely less so, for a few 
seconds only had elapsed and the crushed 
fruit was covered completely as before. 
But soon other devourers showed them- 
selves; a number of ants came to share 
the booty, and it was amusing to see how 
frightened the bulky flies were at the ap- 
proach of one of these energetic little 
creatures. 
After a short rest I proceeded to re- 
turn through the Hilly Field into the 
lane. The sun was very powerful, and 
both water and gooseberries were ex- 
hausted ; I accordingly asked at the 
farmhouse in the lane lor some water, 
and having drunk it, astonished the girl 
who brought it by suddenly going close 
up to the wall and pinning a moth sitting 
thereon: it was Hadena denlina that 1 
thus appropriated, and I answered the 
damsel’s look of wonder by displaying 
the contents of my collecting-box. What 
she thought of me I know not, but her 
“ Lor’ now ! what ’ll ye ever do with ’em 
all?” was amusing to hear. On reaching 
Burford Bridge I was much interested in 
observing the evolutions and mancemres 
of a number of the brilliant Calopleryx 
Virgo and C. splendens, which were sailing 
and darting about among the luxuriant 
bed of reeds and aquatic plants by the 
side of the stream. Another li. denlina 
and some magnificent male stag-beetles 
completed my captures before reaching 
home, where I found the first specimen 
of Vanessa Polychloros just emerged from 
the chrysalis, and, what was quite as 
acceptable, a good dinner awaiting me. 
After dinner the setting of my captures 
occupied me for an hour or two, after 
which I went and had a hunt in the 
garden and shrubbery. By beating I ob- 
tained from holly one Aventia Jlexularia, 
and from sundry trees and bushes Co- 
remia propug naria , Hurpalyee russaria 
and marmoraria, JEupithecia minutaria 
and redan gularia, Polypogon tarsicri- 
nalis and Scopula prunalis and olivalis. 
I also found a specimen of Mameslra 
Persicarice seated on the garden steps. 
After tea 1 looked over my sugaring ap- 
paratus, and behold there was no sugar 
left! A visit to the little grocer’s shop 
was therefore necessary, and the fre- 
quency with which I purchased pounds 
and half-pounds of the coarsest brown 
sugar was, I could plainly perceive, a 
complete puzzle to the worthy grocer, 
who doubtless could but imagine that 1 
was either about to set up an establish- 
ment in the toffy line, or else was a 
young gentleman with an uncommonly 
sweet “ tooth” and disposition. 
Having prepared my “sugar,” and 
