enemy, and where the result has been what invariably happens, when a simple tribe of savages, used only to the primeval customs of its forefathers, is all at once confronted with the invaders of the highest type of civilization- The place thereof knoweth it no

more.'

I fear, ladies and gentlemen, you will think I have chosen a very melancholy subject to address you upon, and I am compelled to admit that such is the case, but it can do us no harm to pause for a brief period and consider at what cost to other races of men and animals, the boasted spread of western civilization has been accomplished. This I have tried in some measure to do, and I would that any feeble effort of mine could in the least degree awaken us, as a nation, to the fearful responsibility which rests upon us more than any other people, inasmuch as the spread of colonization from our island home and its offsets has been so much greater. If, as seems to be the case, the native races with which we come in contact in our efforts to extend our commerce, and find fresh outlets for our surplus population, are doomed to rapid and inevitable extinction, surely this sad fact alone should be sufficient to insure their just and kindly treatment at our hands; and in return for the soil, which we rightly or wrongly force them most reluctantly to vacate, and which has too often been obtained from them by means the most unjust, we are bound by common humanity so to treat them as to win and deserve their confidence, and promote as much as possible their future happiness and welfare; whereas, it too frequently happens that the pioneers of colonization are the dregs of society, and that their cruelty and oppression leads to revolt, followed by reprisal, and ends in feud and ultimate extermination.

That the indigenous fauna of these distant lands should rapidly lose their distinctive characters is certain to follow, but the reckless way in which the result is brought about is too often matter of great regret, and perhaps loss to the colonists; injudicious attempts at acclimatization often, unhappily too successful, forming one very prominent cause. But, as I have shown, the reckless destruction of life for trade purposes, legitimate in themselves if kept within

proper restrictions, has been the cause of vast loss of what otherwise might have remained for an indefinite period valuable sources of food and commerce. The cruelties perpetrated in prosecuting some of these wasteful trades are fearful beyond conception, and on such a scale as to cause even those inured to such scenes to sicken at their work and cry shame that the law allows it; nor have we always necessity to allege in palliation, mere luxury or ephemeral fashion, a new fur, a coveted wing or plume to grace (?) a lady's bonnet, may, should the fashion last long enough, cause the extermination of whole races.

Time will not allow me to give you particular instances in support of what I have just said, nor do I think it needful; for many cases in point must be fresh in your memory, and we have already supped sufficiently full of horrors; nor do I quite see how to apply the lesson which we ought as a nation and individuals to learn from the mistakes of the past the whole question is one of such great difficulty—but I think it very desirable that we should not hide from ourselves the sins we have been guilty of, and who can tell what influence he may some day possess in the cause of humanity.

I wish to say just one word more, by way of explanation, lest it should be thought that I am humanitarian overmuch. I quite recognise the right of man to make a just and proper use of the creatures he finds in the world around him, even to the practice of so-called vivisection, under proper restrictions, as I believe the good to man and animals which has arisen from such researches has incalculably exceeded the evil; all I plead for is that we should be actuated by feelings of humanity-may I say of love-to every creature, and that should our wants demand their sacrifice, that life, should be taken as mercifully as possible, and as sparingly as our requirements permit.

I.

NOTES ON COLLECTING (LEPIDOPTERA) IN

NORFOLK, 1878.

BY F. D. WHEELER, M.A., Hon. Sec.

Read 29th April, 1879.

THE past year seems to have been throughout the country a singularly unproductive one. Here and there, e.g., in Perthshire, the Isle of Man, and at Wicken Fen some rare species have appeared in numbers quite up to the average; but speaking generally, and more especially in reference to the South of England, the commonest insects have been comparatively scarce, and good things as a rule conspicuous by their absence.

In the New Forest particularly-that great working ground of Metropolitan lepidopterists-absolutely nothing seems to have been done; while a Norfolk gentleman, an occasional contributor to this Society, who visited the Scilly Isles last summer, brought back dismal accounts of the absence of Lepidoptera—a sad contrast to 1877, when the same spot produced a large number of highly interesting species.

Compared with this gloomy state of things elsewhere, Norfolk collectors have been favoured, and I have to record the occurrence in unusual numbers of two species, one almost, the other entirely, confined to our Norfolk Fens; the capture of a third extreme rarity, and of three species new to our county list, one of which, however, must, I suppose, be considered as an importation. Had we a number of lepidopterists at all commensurate with either the wealth of our insect fauna, or the strength of our Society in other branches of Natural History, these records might doubtless be increased manifold; as it is, they are drawn almost entirely from notes of my own work and that of two personal friends.

To speak first of the novelties; these are three :

I. OPHIODES LUNARIS. A single specimen taken at light in Stratton Strawless Wood, by myself, May 20th. This species has its home in Hungary and Dalmatia, and occurs in dry oak woods throughout Southern and Central Europe; it is, however, very uncertain in its appearance, being comparatively common in some seasons while it is wholly absent in others. In this country it has occurred once in Hampshire, once in Kent, and twice in Sussex, the last recorded instance being at Brighton, in 1875.

II. DICTYOPTERYX (?) LORQUINIANA. Five specimens taken at light at Ranworth by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher and myself, end of July. This species is tolerably plentiful at Wicken Fen (Cambridgeshire), and formerly occurred at Whittlesea Mere; till lately, however, very little was known of its habits, and it was esteemed an extreme rarity. On the Continent it is recorded from the North of France and from Brandenburg.

It is now found to be double-brooded: the first brood appearing about the middle or end of June, and having invariably, as far as I know, a conspicuous black spot in the middle of the front wings; this brood is the one known to authors. There is, however, another appearing in September and hibernating, which appears to be more numerous. It is as a rule larger than the summer brood and without the black spot, in place of which, however, it is liable to a longitudinal streak of dark brown or black extending the entire length of the wing. Taking into consideration the economy of this species and its tendency to a striped form, I think it should certainly be referred to the genus Peronea rather than Dictyopteryx.

The larva producing the first brood feeds in May on the leaf buds of the Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria); that of the second brood feeds in August on the flowers of the same plantprobably the more congenial food may account for the greater luxuriance of this brood.*

The capture of this species at Ranworth is of peculiar interest, as it is one of the special insects of the old Huntingdonshire

* This larva has not as yet been described; but as I have sent specimens to Mr. Barrett for that purpose, I will not describe it now.

and Cambridgeshire fenlands, and its absence from our Norfolk list was therefore the more remarkable; indeed, it is one of those species to the absence of which Mr. Barrett draws attention in the preface to his list. I think it probable that the same method of work by which these were taken (a powerful lamp placed on the ground) may reveal the presence of other hitherto undetected Micro-Lepidoptera.

III. MACROGASTER ARUNDINIS. Two specimens taken by light at Ranworth by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher, August 3rd and 5th.

This insect I fear we must consider as an introduction merely. It is the most singular and interesting of the lepidopterous fauna of the Cambridgeshire Fens; and its naturalisation here would be a matter of great interest, as its other British locality is confined to an area of one mile square, and may be expected shortly to become a thing of the past. In 1873 I sent a few eggs to Mr. Barrett, which he turned out at Ranworth, and from that time to 1878 no more had been seen of them, when these two

s came to light within two days of each other. The time is noticeable, being very late; this species, however, spreads its time of emergence over several weeks, though June is its true season. The fact of an odd number of years (five) intervening between the exposing the eggs and the capture of the moth presents some difficulties. Owing to the habit of the larva, which lives in the underground stem of the reed, its life history can hardly be worked out, but it certainly requires more than one year, and is generally supposed to occupy three in coming to maturity. Hence, should these specimens be the offspring of my 9 of 1873, we must assume that they emerged irregularly toward the close of the summer of 1878, instead of lying over to June, 1879.

Next to novelties, the most interesting feature of 1878 is the abundance of Nonagria brevilinea. This species is as yet known to science only through its capture in Norfolk, and chiefly in one small piece of fen between Ranworth and South Walsham. It seems to be one of those species whose numbers are specially liable to fluctuation. Although my first acquaintance with it was in 1871, it was not till 1876 that I was able to give any time to working for it, and then a great many nights