A HISTORY OF KENT 



moth is A. emutaria^ Hb., which occurs in the marshes near Woolwich 

 and elsewhere on the banks of the Thames. Another typical Kentish 

 species is the Black-veined Moth {Scoria dealbata, L.^), which is plentiful 

 in several parts of the county, especially about Westwell near Wye and 

 in Chattenden Woods near Rochester. With the exception of one 

 specimen, which I found in a wood near Hailsham in east Sussex, and a 

 few specimens recorded by Mr. T. H. Briggs from Thurning in Hunt- 

 ingdonshire, I am not aware of the occurrence, in this country, of this 

 interesting species out of the county of Kent. That beautiful little 

 species Sterrha sacraria, L., has several times been taken near Folkestone, 

 Dover and elsewhere on the Kentish coast. The scarce Chocolate Tip 

 [Clostera anachoreta, Fb.) was originally discovered at Folkestone by Mr. 

 Sydney Cooper and Dr. Knaggs. It has since been found at St. Leonards 

 and elsewhere in south Sussex, but the great majority of the specimens 

 in our collections were obtained from Kent. The scarce Prominent' 

 [Notodonta carmelita, Esp.) was formerly found at Birch Wood and still 

 occurs sparingly at West Wickham and near Wateringbury. 



Coming to the Noctuae we find that the rare Leucania albipuncta, 

 Fb., has been taken more frequently about Folkestone than anywhere 

 else in the United Kingdom. Tapinostola bondii^ Knaggs, another species 

 of very limited distribution in Europe, used to be common on the 

 West Cliff at Folkestone. The very rare Nonagria sparganii, Esp., 

 has only been taken near Hythe and Deal, and the localities are known 

 to few entomologists. The local Pachetra leucophcea. View, has been 

 taken commonly on the Wye Downs, at Westwell, and near Graves- 

 end ; and the scarce Mamestra abjecta, Hb., has occurred at Dartford 

 and Greenwich and commonly near Gravesend. One of the most 

 interesting Kentish species is Dianthecia albimacula, Bork., first taken 

 at Birch Wood in 1816. It has since been captured and bred in 

 abundance from the Warren at Folkestone, where its food plant, the 

 Nottingham catchfly [Silene nutans), is plentiful. It also occurs on 

 Shakespeare's Cliff near Dover, and elsewhere on the coast where its food 

 plant occurs. That great rarity Cucullia gnaphalii, Hb., was originally 

 taken in Darenth Wood, and the beautiful scarce Burnished Brass {Plusia 

 chryson^ Esp.) was first taken at Deal by the late Mr. Harding. P. moneta, 

 which is now almost generally distributed, was first taken near Dover. 

 Mr. Webb informs me that the following very rare species have also 

 been taken in the county, viz. Hydrilla palustris, H., Xylina zinckenii,T., 

 Micra ostrina, H., and Catephta alchymista, S.V. 



* It is plentiful in the New Forest in certain swamps, but prior to its discovery there it was looiced 

 upon as mainly a Kentish species, though specimens have been recorded from Norfolk. — H. G. 



2 Mr. H. T. Stainton in his Manual mentions Charing and Faversham as localities. — H. G. 



3 Colonel Irby records this species from West Wickham, and Mr. Goodwin refers to it as being 

 scarce near Wateringbury. 



■* The species is locally abundant to the west of Lyme Regis on the borders of the counties of 

 Dorset and Devon. Except in this locality I am not aware of its occurrence anywhere in the United 

 Kingdom out of Kent. Dr. Knaggs informs me that it is still common at Folkestone. — H. G. 



6 Plusia chiyson (formerly known as P. onchakca, Hb.) has, during the last sixteen or seventeen 

 years, been taken or bred in great numbers from Chippenham Fen nc.ir Fordham in east Cambridge- 

 shire.— H. G. 



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