Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/256

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A HISTORY OF CORNWALL Rollason and others. It occurs somewhat sparingly on the edge of woods round Bodmin. A single specimen at Doublebois in 1900 and one near Looe in 1902 are the only other trustworthy records to hand. The Pale Clouded Yellow (Co/ias hyale] is variable in its occurrence, but is always rare, and many years may pass without a single specimen being recorded for the county. It was taken at Whitsand Bay east in 1857 and again in 1892, when several were captured at Saltash. One was captured that same year in the vale of the Kennal, near Ponsanooth, and several by Baily near St. Burian in the Land's End district. In 1900, the year of the great invasion in the eastern counties, it was taken near the mouth of the Seaton River and on Budock Bottoms. At least two have been taken in the Bude district, several about Lostwithiel, two at Falmouth, one at the Lizard, and one at Marazion. The Clouded Yellow (Co/ias edusa) is in some years abundant, in others seldom seen, and has been recorded from almost every district in the county. In 1877 ' lt was ln some localities extra- ordinarily abundant. In 1892 it was much more widely spread, but evidently nowhere plentiful, at least west of Par. In 1897 it was very common about Godolphin, Spiller taking forty one morning on Praa Green. In 1899 it was again abundant on the clover fields about Godolphin, and in 1900 it occurred in great numbers from Truro westwards. Near Falmouth that year it literally swarmed during the last week of August and the first week of September. The female variety, helice, together with intermediate forms, occurred sparingly with the type, Rollason taking eleven specimens, all in perfect condition, freshly emerged, and on several occasions before their wings were perfectly dried, and yet in spite of careful search he failed to find any pupa cases either of this or of the type. Writing in 1893, Baily says that the Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamnt) was plentiful in the east of the county, but grew rapidly scarce towards the west, and that it had never been found beyond Penzance. Nowadays it is not only common about Truro, but is plentiful as far west as Godolphin, and is by no means rare in suitable localities in the Land's End peninsula. The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Argynnis selene) is a somewhat local species, but widely distributed and in places common. Its headquarters in the county seem to be St. Martin's Wood, Looe, where some years it is abundant. It is usually fairly plentiful on Millook Common and about Poundstock, and occurs in favoured spots along the southern half of the county, but is rare west of Helford and in the district of the Lizard. The Pearl-bordered Fritillary (A. euphrosyne) is also somewhat local, and its county distribution seems to be practically identical with that of the previous species. About Truro it is in most years decidedly commoner, but has not been recorded from the Lizard district at all. The Dark Green Fritillary (A. aglaia) is common in most years along the north coast from HennaclifF to Tintagel, at Newquay, Perranporth, and St. Agnes. It often occurs plentifully here and there on the moors. In 1900 it was common near Cardinham, in 1902 at Trebartha, and some years ago was taken in considerable numbers near Liskeard. In the southern half of the county it is much more local than the two preceding species, and does not seem to have been taken in the Truro district at all. Spiller says it is very rare north of Helston, but common at the Lizard. The High Brown Fritillary (A. adippe) is apparently very local. It occurs not unfrequently in the valley at Millook, and from there sparingly to Wainhouse Corner (Goss). It is also recorded from the large woods in the east of the county, and appears to be common some years about Doublebois and Bodmin. From Truro westwards it is a rare casual. The Silver-washed Fritillary (A. paphia) is in some years fairly common in the Millook district and in the woods by the Tamar. It is frequently recorded along the southern half of the county. In the west its headquarters are at Trevarno Wood, Sithney. It is also common in a little wood at Cury Cross to the south of Helston. The Greasy Fritillary (Melitaea aurinta) is very local, and does not seem to be common any- where in the county. It occurs sparingly in places on the Lynher, and is not infrequent on a hill near the Cheesewring, where, according to Bignell, the specimens are much brighter in colour than those from the south of Devonshire. It has been taken near Looe, once by Tellam in the north of Bodmin, twice near Wadebridge, and once by Rollason near St. Austell. The Pearl-bordered Likeness or Heath Fritillary (M. athalia) is at times abundant at St. Martin's Wood, near Looe, but seems to be scarce elsewhere. On I July, 1902, five or six were seen on Per/mica chamaedrys in a clearing in the American garden at Trebartha. It has been found occasionally in the southern half of the county as far west as Par, but is probably commoner than it seems to be, as it varies its haunt from year to year. It has been once reported from the neighbourhood of Falmouth. The Large Tortoise-shell (Fanessa polychloros) is evidently nowhere common in the county, but is taken occasionally all along the south from Mount Edgcumbe to Paul and St. Burian, near the Land's End. In the Poundstock district two or three specimens are taken almost every year, and it has also occurred at Mawgan and at Newquay. The Small Tortoise-shell (F, urticae) is abundant all over the county and at Scilly from early spring till late autumn. Specimens have been not infrequently seen in December and January. Spiller has reared a thousand Cornish-laid specimens yearly at Godolphin for three years, and from 204