22 
EARLY REMINISCENCES 
“ Descending, we visited a hollow on which the sun just then shed 
warm and friendly rays, and here Erebia cassiope (epiphron ) sported 
to and fro in considerable numbers, its little black form being very 
conspicuous against the bright green grass.” 
With one of the “ good things ” of this classical locality, Dasydia 
obfuscata , we were somewhat disappointed, but managed to secure a 
few fine specimens. Mr. Blackburn obtained eggs and succeeded in 
getting a few of the larvae through the winter. It was somewhat 
tantalizing to cut out from one of the old birches on the sugaring 
ground the empty pupa-case of Trochilium scoliaeforme. Exactly 
where we got Botys fuscalis has escaped my memory, and the same 
is true of Peronea caiedoniana , but Ellopia fasciaria flew rather freely 
at night in the neighbourhood of fir-trees, and Larentia olivata was 
found at rest as well as flying by the loch side at night. 
As for larvae we got several of Hadena adusta , while sallows gave 
nourishment to a few Notodonta ziczac, and a fair number of Clostera 
reclusa and Cerum furcula. Certain larvae beaten from alder we 
took to be those of Selenia illustraria, but they presented a most 
curious variety of colouring: whether or no Mr. Blackburn reared 
them I cannot remember. He found a fine brood of Basyekira 
fascelina just emerging from the egg. I beat a larva from Rowan 
(Pyrus aucuparia) from which I ultimately bred a most lovely 
specimen of Cidaria psittacala. 
During the last few days of our stay we spent some time collect¬ 
ing Tortrix larvae from birch and sallow, but more especially from 
Myrica gale , Vaccinium vitis-idaea and V. myrtillus. Those found on 
the two last-named plants would seem to have been terribly infested 
with ichneumons, whose larvae and pupae were common, together with 
Tortrix larvae, but most of the latter were hors-de-combat, healthy 
ones being very scarce. From such of the latter as we did find we 
reared during the next two months a number of Peronea ferrugana , 
nine P. maccana (off Vaccinium), one P. lipsiana (off Myrica ), several 
P. hastiana and one Phlaeodes crenana. 
Profiting by the melancholy experience of a “ fly-man,” who, on 
a previous occasion, had unwisely confided his store boxes to the 
tender mercies of the “ machine,” we trudged on foot, boxes in hand, 
all the weary miles from Camghouran to Kinloch Rannoch. 
On our way North we had journeyed from London to Dundee by 
sea, and after thoroughly enjoying a good lunch in the Thames, 
were induced by the chief steward to compound for our food for the 
whole voyage. However, when we got well into the North Sea it 
began to blow pretty stiffly from the north-east, and continued to do 
