74 THE entomologist's record. 



Under the spreading branches the dead leaves lie. These are often 

 traversed with sinuous windings of delicate intricacy, or disfigured 

 by pale blotches and patches of varying shape. These must be 

 selected, for from them numberless species of the marvellously beautiful 

 Lithocolletidae and Neptimlidae are to be bred. The moss that clothes 

 the trunk near its base must be carefully searched as well as the 

 crannies at the foot of the tree. All the rubbish there must be 

 examined, and what a wealth of insect life one may find — Eurymene 

 dolohraria, Selenia lunaria, Tephrosia consonaria, T. biundularia, Hyhernia 

 lencophaearia, H. marginaria and H. defoUaria may all be found in their 

 cocoons, spun up among the moss on or at the base of the trunk of the 

 tree. Then some of the summer caterpillars have changed to jnipffi, and 

 are to be found among the fallen leaves ; we may find Ephi/raporat<i and 

 E.2mnctaria,\v[th their girdled butterfly-like pupa3 attached to the leaves ; 

 whilst lodis lactearia is snugly esconced within the spun-up leaves. In 

 the crevices of the bark, especially where the wood is soft and readily 

 pierced, the cocoon of Moma orion is snugly hidden away. But it is in 

 the loose friable earth at the foot of the tree that the greatest harvest is 

 to be made. Where the earth meets the trunk of the tree, search with 

 the fingers first, for there many treasures rest. Then carefully in- 

 sert the trowel and spread the earth on a pajDer and pass it in review. 

 Selenia iUunaria, Ampjliidasys strataria, Tephrosia crejmscniaria, Hy- 

 hernia rupicapraria and Phalera hncepJiala are to be found in their 

 cocoons an inch or two below the surface. DeejDer down the pupa3 of 

 Nysaia hispidaria, Amphidasys hetidaria and Nofodontu t repida rest ; almost 

 on the surface N. chaonia and N. trirnacnla greet the seeker's eye, whilst 

 oftentimes thousands of pupte of Taeniocamps are obtained by the 

 diligent worker. Tliese are only some of the entomological treasures 

 to be found in the oak park, but they are sufficient surely to set the 

 enthusiastic collector wondering how it is that with an oak wood so 

 near him he still has y.awning Idanks in liis collection where many of 

 the raier of these species ought to be. 



But let us leave the oak-trees and go to the birches. We cross a 

 field from which the larks rise on tremulous wing, whilst the aru;iy of 

 fieldfares that scud rapidly near the surface of the pond yonder tell 

 us that the winter visitors are here. The blackbirds with their noisy 

 chatter scurry out of the hedgeside as we approach, and the flocks of im- 

 pudent chaffinches fly up into the bush only a few yards from us, to 

 return again as soon as we pass. The breeze is sufficient to hurr}^ the 

 ragged clouds along helter-skelter across the sky, whilst, as we enter 

 the woods, we hear it surging among the highest branches. How it 

 sighs and groans in these autumn-winter days, weeping, as it were, a 

 dirge for the glorious summer days that have gone. Here and there 

 by the path-side a ruddy spot tells of a sprouting acorn, whilst 

 the dead gold bracken stretches like an autumnal sheet under the 

 birches yonder, whose drooping twigs sough in the breeze. 



The silver- stemmed birches are reached at last, and the entomolo- 

 gist can commence his labour again. Many of the species found at the 

 foot of the oak tree may also be found here. A. hetidaria, T. consonaria, 

 T. crepiiscularia, H. marginaria and H. defuliaria will be perhaps in even 

 greater abundance than beneath the spreading oak-tree, whilst, in 

 addition, pup!\3 of Tephrosia hiimdtdaria, T. punctidata and Nofodonta 

 carmelita are often to be obtained. Among the debris beneath the tree. 



