THE LATE SEASON IN KENT. 175 



male specimens, supposed to be characteristic of latreillella , is 

 anything but an artificial separation. I can get them of all sizes, 

 — some exceedingly small, some comparatively large, — flying 

 together at the same time. The fine ones are sometimes large 

 and sometimes small ; but worn ones have very few, if any, white 

 scales on the antennae, wliether large or small. As it was now 

 nearly 3 p.m., I tried a little beating on the edge of the wood, 

 and at the end of half an hour had scored one Botys pandalis and 

 one Bapta himaculata {taminata) ; the former was well up to time, 

 the latter generally occurs here about three weeks earlier. The 

 pretty little AstJiena candidata was common. I also beat a fine 

 specimen oi Phoxopteryx derasana out of blackthorn. After 4 p.m. 

 matters gradually improved, a short series of Argyrolepia sub- 

 haumanniana was obtained ; a very early date for this species ; I 

 generally take it from the end of June to the end of July. Is this 

 a late spring brood ? Longer series of Dicrorampha plumbagana, 

 Pyrausta purpuralis, Eriopsela fractifasciana, Ennychia nigj'ata, 

 and Phytometra viridaria (csnea) were netted, flitting about the 

 flowers on the banks. Cochylis aleella {tesserana) was just 

 appearing, as were also Eupoecilia anthemidana, Sciaphila hybri- 

 dana, Catoptria idicetana, Ephipinplwra trigeminana, Crambus 

 pratellus, and Anaitis plagiata. I also took an odd specimen of 

 Penthina sellana, for which it is an early date, June 20th to July 

 5th being the usual time. An odd specimen of Bapta temcrata, 

 and a freshly-emerged female Phalcra bucephala were picked off 

 the grass; and two little Gelechias still puzzle me. Nisoniades 

 tages, Syricthus alveolus, Pieris napi, and P. brassiccs now and 

 again crossed my path ; but of Lyccena bellargiis, L. astrarche, 

 L. minima, and Argynnis euphrosyne, generally in swarms at this 

 time of the year, I did not see a specimen. 



Hybernated females of Gonepteryx rhamni were busy ovi- 

 positing on the buckthorn on the edges of the wood. Of the 

 Tineinse very few were on the move. The common Lithocol- 

 letidffi were only just appearing, and nothing like fully out. A 

 few Ornix betuke and 0. anglicella, with odd specimens of 

 Elachista cygnipennella, E. pollinariella, and a few other equally 

 common species, made up the total of one of the poorest day's 

 work I have done for the last fifteen years, at this time of 

 the year. 



The season is altogether out of time, and I should say nearly 



