44 NOTES — ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



not altog^ether exterminate it in some of the more restricted localities. Mr. R. E. 

 James, in the " Entomologist " for December (p. 298), wrote that two hours' 

 work on Septenber 12th furnished him with over fifty larvae. He adds (in 

 " Entom. Record," November, p. 256) that forty-five larvse were taken on two 

 small patches of wormwood, not more than a few yards square, both patches 

 being quite close together. Mr. Quail (" Entom. Record," vol. ii., p. 207) records 

 the taking of sixteen larvae in the same locality. For the information of those 

 having larvae o{ P.smaragdaria and finding difficulty in obtaining fresh supplies 

 of ArUmesia maritima, Mr. G. T. Porritt mentions (" E. M. M.," vol. iii., 2nd 

 ser., p. 47) that the larvos will feel up just as well upon the garden species of 

 Artemesia known as "Southernwood" or "Old Man" (^A. ahrotannni). He 

 believes that all A. mariiima-feeding species will take to it. This should prove a 

 useful hint for our Essex collectors. 



Abundance of Larvae during the Autumn. — Many species of moths have 

 been extraordinarily common in the caterpillar stage. Mr. J. A. Cooper, of 

 Leytonstone, called attention in the " Entomologists' Record " to the numbers of 

 Izrvae oi Spi/osofna meM//ias/ri and S. luhricibeda, which in many cases had com- 

 pletely stripped the plants in the gardens. "At the back of the factory here, 

 there is about half an acre of waste ground, where, for many past years, I have 

 encouraged a fine growth of dock and other plants useful for feeding. There was 

 a perfect army of the larvae here, and as they grew in size they stripped every- 

 thing to the ground, leaving the tall stems of dock and willow herb quite bare." 



Larva-beating in Epping Forest. — During the past season of 1891 many 

 kinds of larvae were abundant throughout the forest. Several species which are 

 generally very scarce were fairly plentiful. On 4th of July I beat out a larva of 

 Thecla betulce near High Beach, from which I bred a fine female on llth August. 

 This species has been taken freely in various parts of the forest on sloe. The 

 great feature of the year was the occurrence of Staiiropus fagi in Monk Wood. 

 On September 5th I beat one from oak, and on the 12th of the same month I 

 obtained two more, one from oak and the other from beech ; at least a dozen 

 other larvae of this species were found in the same locality, and the fine beech 

 trees in Monk Wood also yielded an unusually large number of Halias prasinana, 

 Demers coryli, D. pudibunda, Ephyra linearia, &c. Other kinds, such as Notodonta 

 ziczac, N. cameUna^ Dicranura furciila^ &c., were also freely distributed. Thus it 

 is evident that the severe weather has in no way diminished the number of larvse, 

 but has probably destroyed many of the deadly parasites that prey upon them. 

 Also it would appear that the entomological resources of Epping Forest are far 

 from exhausted. — C. B. Smith, 24, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, N., in 

 "Entomologist" for February, 1892. 



Rare Dragon-fly (Agrion Mercuriale) in Epping Forest. — In an 



article on " Some Famous Collecting Grounds for Dragon-flies," by the author 

 of "An Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon-flies" [VV. Harcourt Bath], in 

 '■ Science Gossip " for January, 1892, occurs the following : — " Agrion mercuriale^ 

 common, but very local [New Forest] ; it is only known to occur in one other 

 locality in this country, namely, at Epping Forest, in Essex." In the continuation 

 of his papers in the March number of "S. G.," Mr. Bath sa^s : — "The delightful 

 domain of Epping Forest certainly ranks second to none in England for the rich- 

 ness of its Dragon-fly fauna. . . . Every enthusiastic London entomologist 

 ought certainly to be thankful that he has at his doors such a treasure-house of 



