6 
DIURNAL LEPIDOPTERA OF ST, ANDREWS. 
men is a very perfect one—“ probably does not extend beyond the Frith of 
Forth,” and this is the only recorded instance that I know of its having been seen 
or taken on this side of the Forth. 
Vanessa atalanta. —I have only seen one specimen of the Red Admiral here, 
which was on the 18th and 19th of October. It is a very active insect, never 
resting long on one spot. On the 18th it alighted several times close beside me 
on the ground, on flowers, on the trunks of trees, &c., in the garden, but was so 
active that I could not catch him. He at last flew out of the garden, and did 
not again return that day. On the 19th I again found him in the garden, when 
I secured him for my cabinet. 
Hipparchia megcera. —This insect is extremely abundant here, especially dur¬ 
ing August and September, before and after which month it is not so abundant. 
The first specimen I saw this year was on the 3rd of June, and the last on the 
19th of October. The last time I saw it in 1836 was on the 18th of October. 
I have taken specimens with 2 small ocelli, besides the large one on the under 
side of the anterior wing. 
Hipparchia janira. —Very abundant in the month of August, at the side of 
the Kinnes burn, and flying over corn-fields. 
Hipparchia hyperanthus. —Not very abundant here. But I saw and took it 
in great abundance about 16 miles west from this in the parish of Abdie on the 
10th of July, flying in a meadow, over the long grass. 
Lyccena phlceas .—I have had great difficulty in procuring a perfect specimen 
of this beautiful and active little Papilio (which is very abundant on the banks 
of the Kinnes burn in August and beginning of September), owing, I suppose, to 
its pugnacious habits, of which I had an example on the 24th of August. A 
bold little fellow seemed to think himself the sovereign of a head of flowers of the 
Common Ragwort (which they delight to settle upon), over which he kept con¬ 
stant watch, offering instant battle to any other insect that attempted to alight 
within his dominions. Whilst I watched him he beat off others of his own spe¬ 
cies, as well as Polyommatus alexis and Hipparchia megcera. The specimens I 
have taken of this little Butterfly vary in the intensity of copper, as well 
as as of the dark colour, and on the 14th of September I caught three specimens 
of a variety with 4 blue spots on the dark part of the posterior wing, which spots 
are encircled by a zone of a golden colour. 
Polyommatus alexis. —As stated above, this insect was very abundant on the 
links about the end of July. I have also taken specimens at the burn and in the 
garden. 
haw Park , near St. Andrews , 
November 13, 1837. 
