5 



Bides of the dingle itself were ornamented with some splendid specimens of 

 oak, not of any very great size, but so finely grown as timber trees in height 

 and straightness of stem that they attracted universal admiration. As old 



Chaucer has said, it was 



" A plesannt grove— 



In which were Okis grete, streight as a line, 

 Undir the which the grass so freshe of hew 

 Was newly sprong, .... 

 Every tree well fro his fellow grew 

 With braunches brode, ladin with levis new. 

 That sprongin out agen, the sonn6 shene, ^^ 

 Some very rede, and some a glad light grene. 



The Floure and the Ltafe. 



An active member. Dr. Chapman, who had waved his net through the day 

 with much zeal and perseverance, has very kindly provided this report of his 



success. . 



The cold wind, with the haUstorm of the morning, were not very favourable 

 to the appearance of much insect life. The few bees that were seen were for the 

 most part at rest on leaves and flowers, several species of our spring Lepidoptera 

 were on the wing. Aroynnis Euphroayne was seen sunning itself in several dmgles 

 by the way, and Hipparchia Mc'jwra was also observed. The local LmcoplwsM 

 Sinapsis (the Wood White Butterfly), one of whose head-quarters appears to 

 be in the Ledbury district, was flying in some numbers in several coppices near 

 the Asperton station, where Adda virideUa and Micropteryx caUhcUa basking in 

 the flowers of Ranunculus were also noticed. A specimen of Heliodes Arbuti, one 

 of the earUest of the season, was met with by the wayside, and several members 

 were favoured by a view of Macroglossa stdlarum (the Humming Bird Moth) on 

 the wing. This insect has been rather scarce for several years since its plentiful 

 appearance in 1866, there is some reason to beUeve that it ^ill not be rare 

 this season, as its larvK were observed last autumn in several parts of the coun- 

 try. That a fair share of sunshine was accorded us may be gathered from 

 the fact that the President picked up a specimen of the beautiful Cicindila 

 campestris (the Green Tiger-beetle) which, however common, rarely shows itself 

 except in tbe bright sunshine. Hylesinus Fraxini was noted, burrowing in ash 

 logs at many parts of the route, and Scolytm intricatasm several oak branches on 

 the WaU Hill. In some branches of fruit trees, near the WaU Hill farm, Scolytm 

 ruguUsus was found plentifully, this species, hitherto accounted a rarity, is pro- 

 bably abundant wherever the apple is extensively cultivated, and notably there- 

 fore in Herefordshire. 



A pleasant outwork of the camp overiooking the raUway viaduct, the 

 Ledbury Hills, with the Malvern Hills above them, was chosen as the lecture 

 ground-and after waiting some Uttle time for the truant archeological mem- 

 bers the follomng able address without notes was given :— 



