CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 19 



ruviicis, Axylia jnitris, Dianthcecia carpophaga, 1). cunsiJtr^a, Muiaestra 

 anceps, Grammesia trilinea, Puisina tenebroaa, EiiplexUi lucipara, Hadena 

 thalassina, Larentia olivata, Emmelesia affinitata, Cidaria ribesiaria, Phi- 

 balapteryx tersata, Anticlea rubidata, among others, were noticed. 



July was the best month during the season : Agrotis Incernea, Leu- 

 cania putrescens, Agrotis corticea, Thyatira batis, Gotiophora derasa, 

 Agrotis limigera, Dysthymia luctuosa, Phisia festucfB, Apamea gemina, 

 Caradrina blanda occurred, among other commoner things. 



August produced Lithosia caniola ; only five were taken this year. 

 Five journeys were made to Dawiisii for Gallimorpha hera; this month 

 only nine specimens were taken ; this species also appears to be 

 getting scarce. At sugar, a few such things as Luperina testacea, 

 Agrotis saucia, and a few TriphcBiia interjecta were the best insects taken. 



September and October produced a few each of Epnnda nigra, 

 Heliophubus hispidns, Hadena protea, Xylina petrificata, Polia fiavi- 

 cincta, Anchocelis rufina, Noctua glareosa, Anckovelis lunosa, Cerastis 

 vaccinii, C. ligula (spadicea), Scopelosoina satellitia, Xanthia citrago, X. 

 cerago, X. silago, X. aurago, X. ferrnginea, and Stilbia anomala ; among 

 Geometers, Scotosia dubitata and Cidaria miata. 



November, up to the second week, produced nothing fresh in the 

 way of moths ; a few larvae of Heliophobus hispidus, Leucania putrescens, 

 and Xglophasia hepatica were the principal species. 



The season, as a whole, has been a very poor one ; we have had 

 very little sunshine, so have not done much with the butterflies. One 

 example of Colias edusa was taken at Dawlish, and one at Torquay in 

 August ; these were the only specimens seen by us during the season. 

 We had one Sphinx convulvuli brought to us ; it had been found at rest 

 on a stable door on Sept. 1st, and one Acherontia atropos, which was 

 picked up on the road, dead, on Oct. 15th ; these latter were very fair 

 specimens. — S. & J. Walker ; Torquay, S. Devon. 



The Dragonflies of Epping Forest in 1903. — Our season began 

 on the 1st June with the taking of Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Ayr ion 

 puella ; then followed Ischnura elegans on 21st June. No fresh species 

 fell to pur net until 9tli August, when we took Sympetrum striolatum, 

 immature, and a single specimen of i>. sanguineum. We did not again 

 meet with the last-named dragonfly during the season, and we com- 

 mented upon its apparent absence in 1902 in our report for that year 

 (' Entomologist,' Feb., 1903). On Aug. 16th we took, near Chingford, 

 for the first time in Epping Forest, a specimen (female) of Calopteryx 

 splendens; the late period of this capture will be noticed. On the same 

 date we collected yEschna cyanea and ^. grandis for the first time this 

 season. Both species became unusually abundant ; in a single morn- 

 ing (Sept. 1st) we took ^E. cyanea no fewer than seven times (six 

 males, one female). Upon several occasions, early in September, we 

 were much interested in watching /E. grandis ovipositing in a pond 

 near Chingford. The females of this species receive no assistance 

 from the males in the important function of oviposition ; they rest 

 upon rushes and other plants growing in a suitable situation, and 

 thrust the abdomen deep into the water. On Sept. 13th we took a 

 specimen while thus employed, when we found that the last five seg- 

 ments (numbers 6 to 10) were wet from immersion in the water. In 



