WICKEN RE-VISITED. THE LEPIDOPTERA OF WICKEN FEN, ETC. 295 



as keenly interested as ever in everything, and welcomes any ova that 

 may be sent him to breed. Not getting about much, breeding appeals 

 to him more than ever, but he has difficulty in obtaining material to 

 start on. The first night in the fen was a fairly good one at light, 

 and the treacled posts were crowded with Noctuids. These 

 posts with bark nailed on have quite superseded the old grass 

 knots. They are not quite so fascinating to work, but much cleaner. 

 The old knots, I think, were the stickiest things I have ever touched. 

 The large Lasiocampids were not yet out, but turned up on the 

 12th when Eutricha quercifoUa, Cosiiiotriche potatoria, and Malacosoma 

 neustria all made their first appearance. This (the 12th) was 

 an almost first-class night at light. Amongst other things fourteen 

 male Phraiimatofcia armulinis came to the sheet. This species has 

 steadily increased in numbers since the formation of the " Trust," and 

 Leiicania obsoleta is another species that has benefitted and increased 

 owing to so many more reeds being left uncut. Naficia cilialis, on the 

 other hand, seems slightly on the wane. It is to be hoped that this 

 beautiful species will not revert to its former extreme rarity. After 

 the 12th the weather entered upon the worst week I have ever known 

 on any holiday. It rained for seven days and nights on end, with very 

 few hours' exception ; the sky never cleared once, and most of the time 

 it blew half a gale as well. The duck-pond doubled in size, and in 

 many places the fen dykes filled up and overflowed into the drove. 

 Light for six nights was impossible and treacle only practicable once 

 or twice, when Noctuids still swarmed. Dusk and day work were 

 impossible, and most of the time was spent about the farm, yarning 

 with Bailey, or chatting round Mrs. Bullman's kitchen fire. From the 

 19th onwards, however, the weather was ideal — fine by day, with 

 Avarm, dark nights. Light was good all the time and plenty of things 

 at dusk. Treacle remained good until the last three nights, and then 

 the Noctuids partially deserted it for the reeds and grasses, on which 

 they were found in great abundance. In spite of sunny days, we were 

 never during this last week driven home by "fog," and several really 

 good nights at light occurred. The "Lappets," "Drinkers," and 

 " Tigers " on one of these so enthused my wife and a lady friend 

 staying with us, that henceforward they ran a sheet of their own in 

 addition to mine, and happily hit on a series of "showy" nights. The 

 combined catch of Cosmotriche potatoria and Malacosoma neustria 

 worked out into very nice series. They included a fine cream- 

 coloured male and some good intermediate forms of C. potatoria, and 

 some pretty colour-variations of 3/". neustria. Arctia caja, as usual at 

 Wicken, was very constant in colouring and quite remarkably regular 

 in first appearing between 11.45 p.m. and midnight. 0. pot itoria 

 starts directly the lamp is lit and dwindles after the first hour, J/. 

 neustria comes commonly betwean 11 p.m. and 12 midnight, and 

 Eutricha quercifoUa at intervals all night. Without a watch one 

 could quite well tell the time within half-an-hour by the times of 

 arrival of the various species at light. Other species that seem 

 to have notably increased in numbers since my last visit are Leucania 

 straininea and Plnsia festucae. Ten years ago they were both exceedingly 

 rare here, but now L. straininea occurred every night on treacle in 

 numbers varying from three to a dozen, and at dusk P. festucae was 

 quite plentiful, flying to knapweed blossoms. It flew from late dusk 



