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fordshire, Middlesex and twice in Essex, and it will be interesting to 
note if new colonies are formed in any of these counties. On the 
continent of Europe the insect is hy no means confined to marsh 
land, as in this country, and there seems no reason why it should be 
so restricted in its localities with us. 
The abundance of Polyommatus phlaeas has been very noticeable 
this summer. In some places it has been in profusion. I came upon 
it in early August in Sussex, but not in such great numbers as met 
with in such favoured localities as Deal, and other places along the 
South Coast. Those that I saw were generally more suffused than 
usual, which seemed to be a characteristic feature of the season. 
Taking the summer throughout it can hardly be called a really 
productive year for the Lepidopterist, as a very hot summer seems 
fatal to the larvae of many species. I have heard of more than one 
instance of the larvae of Abraxas grossulanata dying off entirely, when 
sleeved out. Larva beating in Sussex during August proved very 
unproductive, but probably the want of success may have been owing 
more from the fatigue of working in a temperature of nearly 90° than 
from the real absence of larvae. Still I am inclined to think there was 
an unusual scarceness. Quite late in the season, during early October, I 
tried again in the New Forest, but with only very moderate results, the 
larvae of Vernas coryli being perhaps the most abundant. Sugaring in 
Cornwall during July was absolutely useless. I only tried one evening, 
when not a single visitor came to the bait; after that I was satisfied 
to hear the result from others, which was always of the same want 
of success. It was not because there were no insects about, as I 
netted Agrotis lunigera, and several other species of Noctuae, and I also 
saw quite a number of Noctna pleeta assembling round a freshly emerged 
female, which allowed themselves to be taken with the greatest ease. 
Apparently the reason for sugar losing its attractiveness was owing to 
the amount of honeydew on the foliage. I noticed the oak leaves 
everywhere were sticky with honeydew, but otherwise the foliage of 
that part of Cornwall was most luxuriant and free from anything 
approaching dirt, so very unlike what I am accustomed to see in the 
woods for some miles round London. This prevalence of smoke 
deposit opens up considerable scope for discussion, and to my mind 
has a distinct bearing on an article in the “ Entomologist ” by Professor 
R. Meldola entitled “ What has become of our British Satyridas.” 
Professor Meldola is by no means dogmatic in his conclusions as to 
why the Satyrides have not only disappeared from what may be termed 
the London district, but have also become scarcer in other quarters 
than those supposed to be affected by urbanisation. There is a 
hypothesis put forward, as a possible reason for the apparently 
reduced numbers of our Satyridcc, and that is the operation of the 
“ Wild Birds’ Preservation Act,” in preserving birds that feed on 
insect larvre. But I think those of us who have collected for half a 
century or so, must be of opinion that the decrease, not only in the 
Satgridce, but of many other species, had set in a long time before 
the “ Wild Birds Preservation Act ” had come into operation, and 
that while some of our wild birds were on the point of extermination 
our insect fauna was showing very marked decreases. Therefore, the 
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