164 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
in than the sweeping-net will reveal scores, and many species, in 
May, June, and July. Unlike the imago state, the larve of nearly 
all our butterflies prefer for feeding time the darkness of night to 
the light of day. I remember how I used to look for the larve of 
Hirebia Blandina; yes, for days when I was in Scotland, without 
finding one; but on the same ground, on trying one night with a 
lamp, I found them in hundreds, nearly every grass-stalk having 
its tenant. 
On the EHpilobium (willow herb) as well as on the bedstraw 
(Galium) will be found, in June and July, larvee of Cherocampa 
elpenor and perhaps C. porcellus. Zeuzera esculi and Cossus 
ligniperda are both commonly to be found setting on and about 
the trees bored by their larve. At Wanstead these species are 
very destructive to the trees which they affect. It is no un- 
common thing to see a tree bare of its leaves and a mere wreck 
of its former beauty, through the ravages of these wood-boring 
larve. Nola cucullatella may be found, in both larval and imago 
states, amongst the hawthorns in June and July. Huchelia 
jacobee is, in some years, very abundant in the larval state on 
ragwort (Senecio). 
At Wanstead the geometers are numerously represented, 
probably more so than any other group of Lepidoptera. Amongst 
the best are Selenia illunaria, S. illustraria, Pericallia syringaria, 
and Mnnomos tiliaria, from the birch; EH. angularia and E. erosaria, 
both amongst oak. Himera pennaria should be looked for in 
October and November, with Hybernia aurantiaria and H. defo- 
liaria at the same time. T'tumandra amataria occurs in July, not 
commonly. The Clematis (travellers’ joy) should be examined, 
from time to time, during the summer, when the many species 
which feed upon it may be found. Amongst these are—Phiba- 
lapteryx vitalbata and Hupithecia coronata. Platypteryx hamula 
and Cilia spinula are of frequent occurrence ; the former feeds 
on oak and birch, the latter on blackthorn. The Noctue are 
well represented, especially the marsh species ; one of the bestis 
Nonagria despecta, a fine form. Xylocampa lithoriza and Xylina 
rhizolitha—the former in the spring, the latter in autumn—may 
be found at rest on trunks of trees. While looking for these, 
the beginner (who has proverbial luck) might find the rare Xylina 
Zinckenii, which has as yet only been found near London, and 
then at rest like its neighbours in the list. On the aspens on 
