88 ENTOMOLOGICAL RAMBLES IN THE MIDLANDS. 



whole afternoon might be profitably spent in it by both Botanist and 

 Entomologist. We must now, however, push forward, or we shall not 

 complete our walk before night overtakes the lingering day. Near the 

 road at Four Ashes are a number of birches of unusual growth, bearing 

 upon their branches enormous examples of the fibrous excrescence 

 peculiar to this tree. On the surface of the ground beneath these, 

 amongst the dead leaves, we obtain the cocoons of two of ' the 

 " Prominents," Notodonta dictaa and N. dictceoides, both of which feed, 

 in the larval stage, on birch. From a.poplar tree close by we take some 

 cocoons of the Puss moth, and one of the Kittens, D Icranura bifida ; there 

 are plenty of empty cocoons of the latter, and some one pertinently 

 enquires how it is " that their outline cannot easily be detected until the 

 moths have escaped ?" 



Turning into a sort of alley beside the White Lion Inn, we soon find 

 ourselves in a field where, next to grasses, the prevailing plants seem to 

 be yellow rattle, Rhinanthus crista-galli, and the earth-nut, Bunium 

 fiexuosum. I never found anything entomological on the former, but the 

 latter is the food plant of the Chimney-sweep moth, Tanagra chcero- 

 phyllata, great numbers of which may be taken now either by searching 

 or sweeping ; the latter being by far the quicker method. It is a linear, 

 green larva, almost white on the back. It rolls in a ring, and simulates 

 death when disturbed. In the middle of the next field stands a solitary 

 oak tree, which I have never visited without finding upon it a moth of 

 one kind or another. To-day there are two species on its trunk — the 

 desirable Amphydasis prodromaria and Anisopteryx eescularia. Under- 

 neath its spreading branches hyacinths, Scilla nutans, grow very thickly, 

 many white ones (the number increasing year by year) intermixed with 

 the blue. 



Crossing into the next meadow, we continue a very pleasant walk, 

 but find nothing new, with the exception of one larva of the Ruby Tiger 

 moth, Arctia fuliginosa, and a pair of Muslin moths, Arctia mendica. On 

 the railway banks, which we have now reached, the common broom, 

 Sarothamnus scoparius, grows luxuriantly, by beating which larvae of two 

 pretty moths are obtained, viz., Chesias spartiata and Pseudoterpna cytisaria. 

 A month later would be better for collecting these, if we could be sure of 

 finding them. As, however, we are not certain about finding them at a 

 future time, we take now what suffices us, at the same time quoting as 

 an excuse for bagging them so young the pithy couplet — 



" Who putteth off until the morrow, 

 Soweth gold and reapeth sorrow." 



Turning now into a small meadow resplendent with Lent lilies — 

 " Daffodils that come before the swallow dares," 



we soon reach the locality for Trachys troglodytes, one of the most 

 brilliant and rare of our native beetles of the " skip-jack " tribe. 

 His wing cases are highly polished, bright green suffused with 

 purplish and golden reflections, and he is, as you will confess, 

 should we be fortunate enough to find a specimen, one of 



