ENTOMOLOGY OF EPPING. 151 



belonging to M. C. Marsh, Esq. of Park-hall, to Sir J. 

 Smyth, of Hill-hall, and the woods called Ongar Park-woods, 

 the property of Capel Cure, Esq., of Blake-hall. Adjoining 

 these woods is a small portion of forest, resembling the rest of 

 our forest in the abundance of hornbeams, but having fewer 

 beeches, and a good many birches. This has, as well as the 

 other parts, many open boggy places, which of course have 

 their peculiar insects. There are likewise a vast number 

 of gravel-pits, especially old deserted ones ; these being mostly 

 full of water are the resort of numerous aquatic insects, 

 amongst which I may mention — Ptzlobius Hermanni, Rantus 

 pulverosus, R. notatus, R. exoletus, R. agihs, R. adsper- 

 sus, Liopterus oblongus, Dytiscus circumjlexus, and many 

 other of the Dytiscites, Berosus luridus, globosus, &c. 

 About midsummer the rushes on their sides swarm with Noc- 

 tuites, which come to suck the honey of their flowers. 

 Amongst these I may mention — Mythimna grisea, Caradrina 

 ambigua, C. sepii, C. cubicularis, C. alsine, C. glareosa, 

 Leucania comvia, L. impura, and L. pallens, Bombycia 

 viminalis, and Acosmetia lineola. There also we take, 

 Anax formosa, JEshna teretiuscula, Gomphus vulgatissimus, 

 Cordulia cenea, Libellula ^-maculata and Agrion rubellum — 

 the three last in profusion. Libellula prcenubila is also found 

 in the adjoining fields. 



I have recently been told that the last-named insect is merely 

 the female of L. 4<-inaculata, and such T believe is now the 

 opinion of some entomologists. For my part, I am far from 

 being of this way of thinking. I am at a loss to discover how 

 one male insect can be the female of another ; and we certainly 

 do take males with all the mai'kings of a true prcenubila, 

 although there is not one male to ten females. But let me 

 state the case fully and fairly. 



About the end of May, — when, 



" Lod prados se visten flores 

 Agules, blancas y rojas 

 Los arboles verdes hojas 

 Las aves nueva colores," — 



we see flying along the hedges, or over the flowery fields, 

 certain Libelhdce, which bear a great resemblance in their 

 flight to L. depressa $ ; in fact, at a distance, they might be 



