156 THE I.EPinOPTERA OK LEYTON AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 



l)lackthorn. I liavc ofleii taken the larva in this way ; but I do not 

 know wliether it is still to he found there, as for many years systematic 

 persLicution of this species has been carried on by collectors and 

 dealers. Although the larva was fairly common at the period to 

 which these records refer, I only saw the butterfly itself on the wing 

 on one occasion : viz.^ on September 23rd, 1870, when I for some 

 time watched a female flying over the blackthorn and depositing eggs. 

 The butterfly probably escapes notice owing to its being mistaken 

 for a common Satyrid, which it much resembles on the wing. 

 Thecla qucrcus is the only other Hairstreak that I have taken in the 

 Forest. It was pretty common about the oaks between Monk's 

 Wood and Epping Thicks. Polyommatus phlceas was common as a 

 garden and forest insect. Lyccena argiolns was also common both in 

 the garden and Forest. The earliest record of the appearance of 

 this butterfly in my notes is April 24th, 1869. L. icarus was common 

 in the garden, on the marshes, and in the Forest. L. cegon was 

 taken only at one locality : viz., in the reedy swamps near the King's 

 Oak at High Beach. L. astrarche was taken occasionally in the 

 garden ; more commonly in the Forest. 



Hesperidae. None of these butterflies were taken at Leyton ; 

 and the only species I have taken in the Forest are Syrichthus /iialvce, 

 which I saw in considerable numbers in 1889 between Monk's 

 Wood and Epping Thicks, and, in the same part of the Forest, 

 Hesperia thaiimas was occasionally taken. I have a distinct recol- 

 lection also of having seen Nisoniades tages^Awdi Hesperia sylvanus in 

 the Forest within the last few years, but these are not recorded in 

 the notes from 1869 to 1874. 



One noteworthy fact respecting the butterflies captured in 1869, 

 is the exceptionally small size of some of the specimens. I have 

 now in my collection dwarfed P. rapce and napi, E. cardaniines 

 (taken in lane at Chingford), V. atlanta and V. io (both taken in 

 the garden). Whether this character was prevalent generally, might 

 perhaps be ascertained by referring to the entomological records of 

 that season. 



HETEROCERA.^ 

 Zygaena filipendulse. This species was taken in the mea- 

 dows about Chingford rather commonly. I believe it still occurs 



1 The sequence and nomenclature of the species of Heterocera adopted by Prof. Meldola is 

 that of Stainton's " Manual of British Butterflies and Moths" (1857). As this book is so well 

 known to entomologists, it is unnecessary to re-arrange the species ill accordance with the more 

 modern lists. — Ed. 



