ENTOMOLOGICAL RAMBLES IN THE MIDLANDS. 87 



Ascending the brook — I beg pardon, the " river" — our attention is 

 attracted by two interesting plants — Geum rivale and the columbine, 

 Aquilegia vulgaris — the latter being particularly ornamental when in 

 bloom, occurring as it does all along the Blythe, especially in the 

 vicinity of woods. In one of the meadows here, feeding on sorrel, we 

 find the yellowish, hairy larva of the Green Forester, Procris statices, 

 the moth being abundant, some seasons, during the month of June. In 

 the same field, on bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus comiculatus, are larva of the 

 Six-spotted Burnet moth, Zygcena filipendulce, resembling in some respects 

 those of the " Forester." 



On the young alders that margin the stream, larva of the Miller 

 moth, Acronycta leporina, may be found freely in August and September. 

 This is one of the queerest of caterpillars. It always rests in a more or 

 less curved position, is pale green, clothed with long white silky hairs, 

 which are parted along the dorsal line, like the hair of a lady's head, 

 only that on one side it is brushed forward, and on the other backward, 

 producing a very droll appearance — suggestive of the idea that the two 

 sides had quarrelled, and had decided to go different ways 



Both the coppices here — " Shelley " and " Sanderfield," would be 

 worth working, but as they are strictly " preserved," we keep on the 

 outside. But though forbidden to enter, we may surely venture to look 

 over the fence, in doing which we are gladdened by the sight of a 

 perfect carpet of Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis. Venturing to 

 gather a few of the dead leaves lying just within an enclosed belt, near 

 Sanderfield Coppice, we obtain therefrom the minute Orthoperus atomus, 

 and several specimens of a shell that will be very acceptable to our 

 concbological friends, viz., Helix aculeata; also, a few H. pygmaia, the 

 smallest Helix, as we are told. 



Near this spot may be found the caterpillars of a very pretty little 

 geometer, which, later on, flits about the alders on warm evenings ; it is 

 known as the " Bordered Beauty," in science Epione apiciaria. Whilst 

 searching for these we discover two more larva of our handsome friend 

 the large Emerald, G. papilionaria — these are rather smaller than those 

 taken earlier in the day, but still we shall hope to rear them into " first- 

 rate specimens." A few " March Daggers," Diumea fagella, are yet to 

 be seen resting on the trees, but the younger members of the party pass 

 them by with contempt, not only because the moth is so extremely 

 common, but "because it is not in Newman." It may be as well to say 

 now that by "sugaring" here in June legions of beautiful moths can be 

 obtained, including such general favourites as Thyatira batis, T. derasa, 

 Tryphcena interjecta, T.janthina, T. fimbria, Aplecta herbida, and others — 

 " too numerous to mention." 



Under bark, on a post forming part of a field fence, we capture a 

 single specimen of the rather rare Coryphium angusticolle , a beetle of the 

 Brachelytrous section, closely allied to Homalium. 



The field we are now about to pass through, on our way to Four 

 Ashes and Knowle, is extremely fertile in flowers and insects, and a 



