216 THE KNTOMOLOCHSt's RECORD. 



at Versailles, and other Continental places, and he was under the impression that 

 those caught here were not indigenous to us. If this is the case, then it would 

 certainly seem as if we had a flight of them from France during these long- 

 prevailing easterly winds. I thought this might be of interest to you, and send 

 you a few specimens. It is a lovely sight to watch them in the sun. I see them 

 flying over my garden every minute, over Butes everywhere along the south. 

 Every piece of dry furze is covered with them. Perhaps you can throw more light 

 on it, but I am convinced they are not hatched here. The pond at Longy, the 

 only place I have ever seen them, is dry." 



The writer of the above letter was mistaken in this species of 

 dragon-fly. Those captured by Dr. Walker in 1900 were Sy)iipetruiii 

 flaxeolnm. All the specimens sent with his letter were LibclUtla 

 qiiadriniaci(lata, Linn. — W. A. Luff, F.E.S., La Chaumiere, Brock 

 Road, Guernsey. July litJi, 1908. 



Cemiostoma laburnella, etc., at Lewisham. — The fine weather 

 of May and June is possibly responsible for the abundance of many 

 species that are just now appearing. During the last four weeks many 

 of the laburnum trees in the gardens hereabouts have had all the 

 appearance of being scorched, owing to the mines of Couios^toina 

 laburnella, which, in some cases, occupy every leaf, yet the first brood was 

 not at all specially noticeable. The first of the imagines have appeared 

 to-day, dozens of the beautiful white atoms being on the fences under 

 the trees. Hijponomeuta cat/naydliis and Hedya aceriana are also in 

 great abundance, the former beneath and on the Euonyiiius ja])onicu^ 

 bushes, and the latter beneath the poplar trees. — A. M. Cochrane, 

 Lewisham. July llth, 1908. [Many examples of what appears to be 

 a third brood of C. laburnella were seen on the fences again on 

 August 22nd and following days. Quite freshlj'-emerged examples of 

 H. i-aynayellus are also to be observed to date (August 28th). — A.M.C.] 



Hecatera SERENA, ETC., ON Blackheath. — It is always well to 

 note the reappearance of species year by year in districts well within 

 the London area. It is some years since I saw Hecatera serena in our 

 immediate neighbourhood. Twenty-five years ago, a wild hawthorn 

 hedge of about twelve to fifteen feet ran up either side of Westcombe 

 Hill (then known as Combe Farm Lane), and, at the lower end, a long row 

 of magnificent elms stood in the hedge ; a row of poplars occurred higher 

 up, with some ash and oak. On the elm-trunks one pretty regularly found 

 Hecatera serena, but for some years an occasional one on a fence was 

 the most that was noted, and of recent years the species has been 

 missed altogether. This morning, whilst crossing Blackheath, a fine 

 freshly-emerged example was noticed on one of the fences, whilst 

 within a foot of it Avas an equally fine Triaena jm ab. suff'usa. Three 

 weeks ago (June 21st) a newly-emerged Apatela aceris was taken quite 

 near the same spot. I noticed also, for the first time this year, Hypo- 

 noweuta carpiayellus in plenty on the fences, just newly-emerged. It 

 Avould be interesting to know what really are the main factors in 

 reducing and limiting our London fauna. I am forming an opinion 

 that the " sparrow " has more to do Avith the matter than anything 

 else, except, of course, building operations and their concomitant 

 accessories — streets, etc. I saw, in Hither Green Lane (now no longer 

 a lane), outside a baker's shop, on July 8th, an almost dead cockroach 

 [lUatta] lying on its back. It liad just a struggle in its legs, and was 

 carried ott" by a sparrow within two yards of me, whilst three da'ys 

 previously, at Burnt Ash, I saw another pick up a large green 



