NOTES ON SOME TUDDENHAM LEPIDOPTERA. 39 



occur in dozens, but the midges are almost invisible, and occur 

 in clouds over the moor. They bite every part not protected, 

 and I found it quite impossible to stand still for five minutes 

 when they were about ; even whilst walking I used my handker- 

 chief continuously to my face, neck, and hands. Happily both 

 of these torments only occurred on the moors, the wood was 

 quite free from them. 



I was fairly satisfied with the result of my collecting, and, 

 although I took no rarities, yet most of the insects were variable. 

 The best forms occurred in C. bilineata and 0. hidentata. The 

 M. inontaiiata were of the Northern type, but yielded few striking 

 varieties. 



NOTES ON SOME TUDDENHAM LEPIDOPTERA. 

 By E. G. J. Spakke, B.A., F.E.S. 



I HAVE heard it said, and seen it written, that the special 

 Lepidoptera of Tuddenham and the surrounding district are 

 getting scarcer year by year. Having had good opportunities of 

 testing this by two annual visits for some years past to the late 

 venerable rector of Tuddenham, a near relative of mine, I would 

 assert generally that this is not the case. 



Take Agrophila trahealis {sulphiu-alis), for instance. By making 

 a close search of Tuddenham for one whole day in June, I found 

 certain places where they almost swarmed if looked for at the 

 right time. In 1897 they were especially plentiful, and I had the 

 pleasure of circulating nearly two hundred specimens amongst 

 friends in various parts of the United Kingdom. Last year 

 (leaving them quite alone in 1898) I again had the jdeasure of 

 distributing over one hundred good specimens, taken from a 

 small rough patch of ground not larger than the garden of a 

 suburban villa. I could easily have made it five hundred if I 

 had gone into a field of stunted rye-grass of many acres close 

 by, growing or trying to grow against rabbits and drought. It 

 has struck me as very curious that there should be a small 

 grasshopper on these wastes w^iich flies almost exactly like 

 A. trabealis - the one seems to imitate the other. A. trahealis 

 is also fond of flying on to the bare field, and while sitting on a 

 clod or a stone is only visible to a trained eye; I only once have 

 boxed one on the ground. 



Acidalia ruhricata certainly seems scarcer than formerly, 

 though still plentiful in other places, and in Norfolk; but still 

 in certain spots I found it still possible to get a fair series in one 

 afternoon, This year the first brood was late — there were sharp 

 frosts at Tuddenham in June ; I caught several beautiful ruddy 

 specimens the first week in July. This insect does not fly as a 



