146 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



and fairly dry. Then it is that we may commence work, which 

 is most successfully conducted during the afternoon, and on until 

 dusk on fine sunny afternoons from May until September. 

 This drier portion of the marsh reaches for a couple of miles 

 along the sea-wall towards the village of Leigh, beyond the 

 ruined towers of ancient Hadleigh Castle, which rise on the hill- 

 side to the left. 



The flora surrounding us is now quite characteristic of the 

 locality. Sea-lavender {Staticc limonhim) the handsome Aster 

 tripolium, sea-wormwood (Artemisia maritima), and many others 

 are closely growing in patches and in profusion, each forming the 

 pabulum of some equally characteristically local lepidopteron. 



Macro-Lepidoptera by day are decidedly scarce on salt- 

 marshes, but the Micro-lepidopterologist will be well repaid for 

 his afternoon's work. Among the sea-lavender the local plume 

 moth, Agdistis hennctii, will be found from time to time during 

 the afternoon, though just before dusk it appears in sufficient 

 numbers to keep the collector busy with his net and boxes. 

 These moths appear in June and August, while the larvae may 

 be found at night feeding on the leaves of sea-lavender. Few 

 can be discovered in the day-time, though the plants having 

 notched and riddled leaves should be searched for the curious 

 little sphinx-like larva of this moth ; but where one can be 

 found by day many may be found by the aid of a light at night. 

 Mr. South, in his admirable " Contributions to the History of 

 the British Pterophori " (Entom. xvi. 27), describes and figures 

 this larva, also a leaf of its food-plant, showing the curious 

 mode of marking the leaf where they ha\e been feeding. 



Several species of Tortrices peculiar to salt-marshes abound 

 in their seasons, Eiipacilia affinitana and E. vectisana especially 

 so, apparently all over the marsh. It requires only a gleam of 

 afternoon sunshine to make these species flit about in abundance 

 in June and July. By disturbing the Artemisia, Catoptria 

 candididana may be found, particularly where the plants grow 

 on the marsh rather than by the sea-wall adjoining. The same 

 plant should be examined in autumn and sjjring for the curious 

 larvaB of the once very rare Phorodesma smaragdaria, which has 

 recently become an example of the fallacy of rarities among 

 Lepidoptera. Once its habits became understood it was found 

 upon the very ground where we bad been diligently working for 



