PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
247 
sibly, like Pyrameis cardui, it may again put in an appearance. 
It is found in Scotland as far north as Argyle.” After the lapse 
of so long a period I do not think this butterfly is ever likely to 
turn up here again; Its habits restrict it to the locality in 
which it is bred, and in this respect it differs extremely from P. 
cardui, whose roaming disposition is notorious. Another insect 
in the list not now to be found, so far as I have been able to 
note, within our bounds, is Bombyx rubi , but it is quite likely 
this and several other insects which have not been noticed re¬ 
cently will reappear. Descending the hill past A.nnat Lodge, I 
may say Dr Buchanan White tells me he saw this last summer a 
specimen of that beautiful butterfly, Argynnis Aglaia, in his 
garden; and on his rockery I have myself taken the tiny Microp- 
teryx Seppella. Other two insects not recorded from any other 
part of the hill have visited Annat Lodge, flying to the lighted 
windows, viz., Luperina cespitis and Phycissubornatellu. I sup¬ 
pose they went to report themselves to our President—at any 
rate the visit ensured their inclusion in our list. As one can 
hardly believe so small an insect as the last named could fly all 
the way from Moncreiffe, where it is pretty common, I think we 
may reasonably expect to find it elsewhere within our boundary. 
The following analysis of the list appended shows the number 
of Kinnoull species, as compared with the total number of 
Perthshire apecies 
Kinnoull. Perthshire. 
Rhopalocera,. 19 31 
Sphiuges and Bombyces, .. — 27 65 
NoctUEe . 64 160 
Geometrm. 70 145 
Pyralides. 7 28 
Pterophori,. 2 10 
Crambi,. 5 22 
Tortrices, . 20 160 
Tinese. 20 200 
As I have previously stated, much remains yet to be done 
among the Tortrices and Tinese, and I feel sure these will yet be 
largely added to. 
[The List of Species will he found at the end of the series 
of papers.] 
VI.— The Mollusca. 
By Mr Henry Coates, F.R.P.S. 
I know of few places which present, within an equally 
limited area, so many conditions favourable for the habitat 
of land mollusks as Kinnoull Hill. Amongst these condi¬ 
tions may be mentioned the crumbling basalt rock, the 
southern exposure, the shelter afforded by the trees and 
vegetation which edge the cliffs, and the variety of altitude. 
Let us suppose we have descended one of the steep 
gullies which lie beween the jutting cliffs, and have 
lain down on the loose debris , just at the edge of the 
solid rock. We then commence carefully to examine 
all the loose soil, moss, sticks, leaves, and stones within 
reach, handful by handful. If the day be suitable, say 
a damp, warm afternoon in early autumn, nearly every 
handful we take up will contain some interesting speci¬ 
mens, the majority of them very minute, but all ex¬ 
quisitely graceful in form, some wonderfully sculptured, 
and others prettily coloured. I should have mentioned 
that the only appliances necessary to take with us are 
a few pill - boxes of different sizes, a bag in which to 
put some debris for examination at home, and—for those 
whose eyes are not sharp enough to distinguish Helix 
pygmcea from a grain of sand—a pocket lens. 
Let us see then what we have culled from the first few 
handfuls. The largest are one or two rounded shells, about 
£ inch across, of a dark brown colour, and covered with 
down-like hairs. Through the semi-transparent shell we can 
see that in some the animal is nearly black, and in others a 
dirty white. These represent two closely allied species 
(Helix hispida and H. concinna). Next we may notice 
some little wide-mouthed shells of a delicate sea-green 
colour, and almost as transparent as glass { Vitrina 
pellucida). These are nearly all empty, probably for the 
reason that they afford but slight protection to their occu¬ 
pants, who thus fall an easy prey to birds and other 
enemies. Probably the commonest form is a little spiral 
shell of a dark brown colour, strong and opaque. At first 
sight these seem to be all the same, but if we examine 
them closely we may find that one or two have a white 
rib strengthening the edge of the lip (Pupa umbilicata and 
P. marginata). Amongst the more minute shells, clinging 
to dead twigs and leaves or chips of rock, are three re¬ 
sembling each other in their round flattened shape. The 
first of these is a most beautiful object, when seen under a 
magnifying glass, milk-white, semi-transparent, and with 
the mouth surrounded by a porcelain-like ring ( H. pulchella). 
The next is of a rich olive brown colour, and sculptured 
with regular curved striae radiating from the centre (H. 
rupestris). The smallest of the three is equally beautiful 
in structure, although so minute that only a practised eye 
can detect it ( H. pygmcea). 
Such are a few of the more abundant species, described 
in entirely unscientific terms. If we have selected our 
spot well, we may expect to unearth at least as many 
more without moving a dozen yards. But, leaving the 
loose material, we shall now take a glance at the 
rock of the cliff itself. Here we shall see—some crawl¬ 
ing over the exposed surface, some hiding in chinks 
and crannies—a number of little snails, carrying slender 
spiral shells, about half-an-inch long and tapering at both 
