108 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



month, while it was feeding on the blossoms of a box tree in my 

 garden. — (Rev.) J. Seymour St. John; Crowcombe Rectory, 

 Taunton, April 19, 1884. 



The Lepidoptera of London Suburbs. — When I was a 

 collector of Lepidoptera I had my attention frequently drawn to 

 the circumstance noted by Mr. T. W. Hall, viz., the numerous 

 species that would occur within a small area in one of the 

 " greeneries " that occur about the suburbs of the metropolis — 

 greeneries, alas ! which the builders have fearfully reduced in 

 number since I quitted London ten years ago. It was a common 

 occurrence that when going out after these insects into (say) 

 Kent or Hertfordshire, to a distance of twenty or thirty miles 

 from the metropolis, one returned home with boxes far lighter 

 than one obtained as near London as Wimbledon or Ealing. 

 Of course, when going to distant hunting-grounds, some species 

 were taken which would not be found in the London district. 

 My explanation is this — that owing to the destruction of woods 

 and hedges, and the disappearance of fields about London, the 

 yet remaining species of insects congregate in the few spots that 

 afford food and shelter. And then, again, it is probable that the 

 warmth of suburban London is rather liked by some species of 

 Lepidoptera. If we are to credit (as I presume we may) the 

 records left by the old aurelians, the vicinity of London used to 

 be a first-rate collecting-ground. I fear that now many passably 

 good insects I used to capture within a few miles of Charing 

 Cross have vanished, and London collectors must travel to other 

 localities for them ; fortunately, the investigative abilities of our 

 younger entomologists have discovered some capital spots which 

 nobody visited or thought about when I first took net in hand. 

 It would be vain (just to quote a few instances) to search about 

 London suburbs in 1884 for Argynnis selene, Vanessa cardui, 

 Dicranura furcida and bifida, Notodonta dictceoides, Cucidlia 

 chamomillce, Polia tincta, Trichiura cratcegi, Lasiocampa querci- 

 folia, or Boarmia roboraria ; at least I hope anyone who takes 

 them there will mention the fact, but not name the precise spot. 

 — J. R. S. Clifford ; Gravesend, Kent, April 2, 1884. 



Retarded emergence. — We have seen several instances of 

 retarded emergence in Lepidoptera lately recorded in these pages, 

 and especially amongst the larger species of moths. Possibly the 

 reason why the notices appear relating to the larger species more 



