ENTOMOLOGY OF EPPING. 151 



belonging to M. C. Marsh, Esq. of Park-hall, to Sir J. 

 Smyth, of Hill-hall, and the woods called Ongar Park-woods, 

 the property of Capel Cure, Esq., of Blake-hall. Adjoining 

 these woods is a small portion of forest, resembling the rest of 

 our forest in the abundance of hornbeams, but having fewer 

 beeches, and a good many birches. This has, as well as the 

 other parts, many open boggy places, which of course have 

 their peculiar insects. There are likewise a vast number 

 of gravel- pits, especially old deserted ones ; these being mostly 

 full of water are the resort of numerous aquatic insects, 

 amongst which I may mention — PcBlohiiis Hermanni, Rantus 

 pulverosus, R. notatus, R. exoletus, R. acjiles, R. adsper- 

 sus, Liopterus ohlongus, Dytiscus circnviflexus, and many 

 other of the Dytiscites, Berosus luiidus, glohosus, &c. 

 About midsummer the rushes on their sides swarm with Noc- 

 tuites, which come to suck the honey of their flowers. 

 Amongst these I may mention — Mythimna grisea, Caradrina 

 ambigua, C sepii, C, cubicularis, C. alsine, C. glareosa, 

 Leucania comma, L. impura, and L. pallens, Bomhycia 

 viminalis, and Acosmetia lineola. There also we take, 

 Anax formosa, jEshna teretiuscula, Gomphus vulgatissimus, 

 Cordulia cenea, Lihellula 4^-jnaculata and Agrion riibellum — 

 the three last in profusion. Libellula prceuubila is also found 

 in the adjoining fields. 



I have recently been told that the last-named insect is merely 

 the female of L. ^-maculata, and such t believe is now the 

 opinion of some entomologists. For my part, J. am far from 

 being of this way of thinking. I am at a loss to discover how 

 one male insect can be the female of another ; and we certainly 

 do take males with all the markings of a true jjrtvmibila, 

 although there is not one male to ten females. But let me 

 state the case fully and fairly. 



About the end of May, — when, 



" Lod prados se visten flores 

 Agules, blancas y rojas 

 Los arboles verdes hojas 

 Las aves nueva colores," — 



we see flying along the hedges, or over the flowery fields, 

 certain Libelhdrv, which bear a great resemblance in their 

 flight to L. depressa ? ; in fact, at a distance, they might be 



