NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 113 



an hour late — too late for any work that night. Friday was a 

 charmingly sunny day, with nice soft w^esterly wind. By nine 

 o'clock we had commenced our expedition into the Forest, 

 choosing the road towards Lyndhurst, but turning off into 

 Whiteley Wood, amongst the grand old oaks, which we thumiDed 

 and thrashed with all the energy and vigour of renewed strength, 

 after our long winter's rest. On comparing notes after three or 

 four hours of steady work, we find our bag consists of the sorry 

 array of some few Eupithecia ahhreviata. We had seen Diurnea 

 fagella, both males and females, in abundance and fine condition, 

 as were Tortricodes hyemana. Continuing our rambles, we met 

 Mr. Tate, of Lyndhurst, who told us of his captures during the 

 month, which, with the exception of Cymatophora ridens, taken 

 the day before for the first time, all his species were early spring 

 moths. Strolling up to Bank, we returned through Hurst Hill, 

 where we saw the first Satyrus ^Egeria, evidently just out of pupa. 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, Vanessa lo, and V . poly chloros y\ eve also seen, 

 the two former commonly. Our walk ended through Queen's 

 Bower, which, from its sheltered position, was warm and sunny, 

 but added no additional species. Saturday was chiefly occupied 

 by a long drive through Lyndhurst, past Rufus Stone, Stoney 

 Cross, Bolder Wood, &c. Near Stoney Cross we saw the site of 

 one of the great Forest fires which have recentl}' occurred in 

 many parts of the district. This particular fire had burned from 

 five to six miles in length, and a couple of miles in breadth, 

 doing many thousands of pounds worth of damage amongst the 

 fir and other plantations. On Saturday evening we examined 

 the large oaks in Holland's Wood, but nothing occurred worth 

 taking. On Sunday we went for a long ramble through Holland's 

 Wood, Ramnor, New Plantation, Stubby Copse, Denn}^ Wood, 

 Woodfidley, thence over the railway to Frame Wood and Lady 

 Cross, along the Beaulieu Road, some fifteen miles in all. In the 

 evening the wind, which had been blowing strongly from the east 

 all day, died away, and we took the opportunity to try again in 

 Whiteley Wood for E. irriguata, and were each rewarded b}^ one 

 male specimen, evidently just out of pupa. After dark the bloom 

 of the blackthorn was examined with some success, for we found 

 most of the commoner Taniocampidce, including a very pretty 

 red form of T. gracilis. Aleucis pictaria was there in small 

 numbers, while Hyhernia progemmaria seemed to be only just out 



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