To6 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX. 



brown lines on side, pule cream-brown line below spiracles ; head brown. Food — 

 Primrose, cowslip. Imago — May and June ; hibernates as pupa. 



Rare and very local, especially so considering how common is its 

 food-plant ; always in or on the borders of woods. 



Bromley Thickets and Hartley Wood [St. Osyth] {Jermyn ; 

 V.M. 65). Hartley Wood, St. Osyth {Hartvood ; E.M.M. iv. 162 ; 

 B.B. 104). Still occurs in several of the larger woods in Tendring 

 Hundred {Ilanvood). Gaynes Park and Ongar Park Woods, near 

 Epping, 1839-41. "It held its own fairly well for three years, and 

 then suddenly vanished, never to appear again within my knowledge " 

 {EjigHsh ; E-N". i. no). Epping {S.M. i. 49). Woodham Ferris 

 Hall ^V'ood, common hut \ocvl\ {Ray nor ; T.E.F.C. iii. 38). East- 

 wood, not common ( Frt'/^^-^a-^^/ jS'.iV. iii. 126). Used formerly to 

 be taken near Saffron Walden ; there are fifteen specimens in the 

 " old collection " {G. N. Maynard). 



Syrichthus malvae, L. Grizzled Skipper. 



Geographical Distrtbution — Europe, North and West Asia. In Britain doubt- 

 fully absent from Ireland. 



Larva — Ochreous-green, pinkish on back of anterior segments, five faint lines ; 

 head dark purplish-brown. Food — Barren wild strawberry, wild raspberry and 

 bramble. Imago — May, August (rarely) ; hibernates as pupa. 



Common throughout the county, but local, and, from its buzzing, 

 Noctua-like flight, not easily seen or captured. 



Nisoniades tages, L. Dingy Skipper. 



Geographical Distribution — Europe, North and West Asia (except polar regions). 

 Throughout Britain. 



Larva — Yellowish-green, darker line on back, pale streak below small red 

 spiracles; head purplish-brown. Food — Bird's-foot trefoil. Imago — May, August ; 

 hibernates as larva. 



Not common, and local. It is very inconspicuous, and difficult 

 to see or capture. Only a single specimen from Colchester district, 

 captured near Langham Lodge Wood by Tillaney, thirty years ago ; 

 Mr. Harwood has never seen this species alive. 



\N. tages is not uncommon in some seasons in Epping Forest ; 

 Prof Meldola found it somewhat abundantly north of Monk's ^^'ood 

 in June, 1889. We again saw it in some numbers in 1890. — JV. 

 Cole\ 



Hesperia thaumas, Hufn. Small Skipper. 



Geographical Distribution — Central and South Europe to Scandinavia, West 

 Asia, North Africa, North America. In Britain absent from Scotland. 



Larva — \J\n\\\. green, darker stripe on back, two paler stripes on side ; head, 



