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THR ENTOMOLOGIST. 



grievously. But there are a certain number of springs, on the 

 north face, and, as a rule, an abundant chalk-flora outside and in 

 the clearings of the beech woods, which still cover a considerable 

 area towards the west. I see it stated that Buckinghamshire 

 gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon "hoc," or beech woods. 

 There are secluded spots in the foothills which retain 

 apparently their primitive aspect in every detail. In such 

 places the space between forest fringe and meadow, or more 

 usually arable land, is sprinkled with dwarf juniper and ancient 

 thorns ; the steep flinty roads are banked with helianthemum, 

 scabious, and occasional hedges of viburnum. Here and there 

 the side wastes have been enclosed with barbed wire to contain 

 the sheep in places where the grass affords pasture, mingled 

 with hippocrepis, burnet-saxifrage, and aromatic wild thyme. In 

 the occasional open spaces, or by the cart-tracks used for wood 

 cutters, there is an abundance of wild strawberries ; and, while 

 in July tall thistles are certain lure for the larger Fritillaries, 

 a month later clumps of hemp agrimony invite the commoner 

 Vanessids to their familiar banquet. 



On the south side, dropping from Great Hampden, or along 

 the Wendover road to Great Missenden, the woods give way 

 to ploughed fields, sometimes a glory of scarlet poppies, at other 

 seasons gay with the delicate pink spires of sainfoin, or duskier 

 lucerne. At other spots the gentle slopes are a blaze of 

 mustard splashed with the "dragon's blood" of luscious 

 Dutch clover. The lesser copses are fringed with holly, 

 and where the main road from Aylesbury reaches to Missenden 

 the cherry orchards begin, thence in April an unbroken line of 

 snowy blossom to the limit of the lighter soils ; as beautiful as 

 the stretches of blackthorn later laden with large and bloomy 

 sloes. Motors and motor dust have done much to spoil the 

 amenities of the great highways ; still, Saturdays excepted, the 

 Chiltern by-roads are as peaceful and as pleasant as those of 

 the Alps. Also, much likely-looking ground is enclosed and 

 private ; but from east to west there are country lanes uniivalled 

 in mid-England for luxuriance of wild flowers and fruits ; open 

 downs and wood land, where it seems you may wander at will 

 undisturbed by "trespass" boards, and the ever unwelcome 

 keeper. We entomologists, however, owe not a little to the game 

 preserver, and I quite agree with my correspondent Mr. A. J. 

 Spiller, who has given me so much valuable help in compiling 

 this Buckinghamshire list, that the real reason why certain 

 once common species tend hereabouts to become " small by 

 degrees and beautifully less " is directly traceable to the grazing 

 of the hills by sheep in places formerly reserved for sporting 

 purposes. And, as proof of this, otherwise rare insects are still 

 locally plentiful where the various grasses and chalk-loving flora 

 are left to flourish at their own sweet will. 



