128 NOTES — ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



rapidly over England, as it has done over the N.W. of Germany and over Hol- 

 land." Mr. Oldham's discovery of the species so near London as Woodford is 

 especially interesting, and it is a most welcome addition to the already rich list of 

 Epping Forest lepidoptera. — Ed. 



Lepidoptera at Woodford. — Mr. C. Oldham has sent us an interesting 

 list of Moths frequenting " sugared " trees in his garden in the Chelmsford 

 Road, South Woodford, in June, July, and August. Amongst the species were 

 Lucania conigera, Agrotis corticea, A. puta, A. saucia^ Nochia C. nigi-um, Cosmia 

 ajfinis and C. dipfniis^ and Cucullia iimbratica. Catocala niipta came on July yth, 

 which Mr. Oldham thinks remarkably early. — Ed. 



Some Additions to the List of the Lepidoptera of the Epping 

 Forest District. — On looking through a collection of moths taken at sugar, at 

 Theydon Bois, by my nephew, Maurice Cohn, in iSgt, I find a few not included 

 in my previous list (Essex Naturalist, vol. v , p. 153). The species to be 

 added are : Apaniea g^mina, Xylophasia rurca and X. hepatica, and Aplecta 

 advena. With respect to this last capture (one specimen) it is of interest to note 

 that four out of the five British species of Aplecta are now recorded from the 

 Epping Forest district. I may add that Nemeophila 7'ussula, which was e.xhibited 

 by me as a Forest species at the meeting of the Club on December 29th, 1888 

 (Essex Naturalist, vol. ii., p. 267), should also be included in the list. — R. 

 Meldola, F.R.S., September, 1893. 



Eucalyptus flourishing in the open in Essex. — Tiie hardy Tasmanian 

 Gum-trees (^«faA'//«.f ^?/««n) the seeds of which were imported by me in April, 

 1887, are now all heights from twelve to thirty feet, completely defying English 

 winters, and flowering and seeding profusely. I have seen hundreds of young 

 plants raised from Essex-grown seed. — JOHN Bateman, Briglitlingsea Hall, 

 September, 1893. 



The " Canker- Bloom " of Shakespeare. — .\11 the authorities to which 

 I have access state that the Dog-rose was Shakespeare's " Canker-bloom," but 

 nowhere can I find any reason given for the assertion. I dare not impugn the 

 accuracy of the learned Shakespearean commentators, who seem all agreed upon 

 the point, but I should like to know if any of your readers can tell me why so 

 strange a name should be given to the flower. Is it onl}' assumed that the poet 

 meant Rosa canina because that meaning would fit in so admirably with tiie simile 

 in the lines in the well-known sonnet ? : — 



" The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye 

 As the perfumed tincture of the roses, 

 Hang on such thorns, and play as wantonly, 

 When summer's breath their masked buds discloses." 



It has always occurred to me that a more obvious meaning for the " canker- 

 blooms " in this passage would be the red mossy galls (the" Bedeguars," produced 

 by Rhodites roso'^Y^.') which so often vie successfully with the brightest hues of the 



flower : 



" Hut, for their virtue only is their show, 



They live uuwoo'd and unrespected fade, 

 Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so ; 



Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made." 



There is another passage in which Shakespeare mentions the " canker," in 

 " Much Ado about Nothing " : "I had rather be a canker in the hedge, than a rose 



