EFFECT OF EARLY SPRING OF 1920 ON BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 87 
first I took was on July 8th at Mistley, Essex. After that I saw 
it at Crawley Down, Sussex, from August 6th to 18th, in good 
condition, and many of them struck me as being particularly 
large. The last dates are somewhat late for fresh specimens. 
They were undoubtedly in much larger numbers than I had ever 
seen them before in the same district. Aphantopus hyperanthus 
was also out for a long time. The first I took was on June 28rd 
at Blean Wood, Kent. After that it was abundant in Essex 
from July 8th to 13th, when it was getting wasted, and the last 
I saw was on August 6th at Crawley Down. This species I 
should say had been hurried up by the early season, in spite of 
the one late record. H. jurtina was out early. The first 
observed by me was on June 11th in Devonshire, and the first at 
Loughton was on June 22nd. It was still flying in a wasted con- 
dition at Crawley Down when I left on August 18th. On August 
7th, and on the 13th, I took two perfectly clean specimens which 
contrasted in a very pronounced manner with the other more or 
less worn specimens flying round. These have all the appearance 
of a second brood. I see in South’s ‘ British Butterflies’ that it 
has been suggested before that the late clean specimens are 
possibly the result of a second brood, but that no direct evidence 
has been produced to prove it. 
With the Lycenide my observations were greatly hindered 
by bad weather. It has certainly been a great year for Chryso- 
phanus phleas. There was a second brood out by July 11th at 
Mistley, and during August and September they have been in 
evidence wherever I have been. Polyommatus icarus has been 
abundant also, but I have no unusual dates to record. The few 
Agriades corydon that I have seen would lead me to suppose that 
the species was not earlier than usual. I saw a fairly fresh 
specimen at Oxted on August 10th, and also a few fresh specimens 
on the Chilterns on August 25th, but on both these excursions 
the weather was against me. With the Hesperiide I saw 
H. malve on May 22nd, and as late as June 22nd at Loughton, 
and I saw this species in Devonshire on June 10th and 11th. 
These are certainly not early records. A. sylvanus was seen by 
me on June 11th in Devonshire and on June 22nd at Loughton, 
and as late as August 8th at Crawley Down. A. flava was seen 
in Essex on July 14th, and at Crawley Down from August 6th to 
18th, which is rather late than otherwise. 
Finally, I should say that moths generally have been particu- 
larly scarce, but as I have been unable to carry out much night 
work I am hardly in a position to judge. However, it appeared 
to me that remarkably few Geometers were disturbed during my 
day rambles. The only time I tried ivy was on October 11th. 
It was a beautiful clump of blossom about two miles from 
Loughton, fully out, and to all appearance a favourable night, 
but the only insect that was beaten out was one Plusia gamma! 
