THE LBPIDOPTERA OF BERLIN. 201 



round. As I have collected here fairly regularly from June 1st, 

 1902, till the end of the 1904 season, I think I may fairly claim 

 to have a good idea of what can be done in this district. 



What is understood as the Berlin district is the tract of 

 country contained within about a twenty-mile radius of the 

 centre of the city. This includes a very varied country both as 

 to soil and vegetation, which accounts for the richness of the 

 fauna. The greater portion is of course the usual sandy soil of 

 the Great Plain of Prussia, but by Riidersdorf in the east there 

 is an outbreak of chalky limestone, forming downs fairly similar 

 to our Kentish or Surrey ones, and it is here, of course, that 

 such species as Lyccena corydon, L. minima, the three rare 

 Zygaenae, &c., appear. The whole district is fairly well wooded, 

 the greater portion being pine or fir woods, but there are also 

 magnificent oak and beech woods, and in the swampy portions, 

 which are fairly frequent, alder and birch predominate. Here 

 and there over the whole district, and especially by Bernau in 

 the north, there are extensive heaths, and these are sometimes 

 covered with juniper bushes. In the larger pine woods there is 

 frequently a thick undergrowth of bilberry ; in the deciduous 

 woods, of raspberry and buckthorn. Whitethorn, blackthorn, 

 and the wild briar are conspicuous by their absence ; only on 

 the downs at Riidersdorf do they appear to grow wild. Bramble 

 and sallow much rarer than in England ; willow is also extremely 

 rare. Aspen, lime, and black poplar are all common all over 

 the district. The commonest tree after pines and firs is un- 

 doubtedly the birch. Notable absentees amongst low plants are 

 the primrose, foxglove, bracken, and gorse. By far the com- 

 monest plant on open uncultivated land is Artemisia vulgaris, 

 the food-plant of Cacullia argentea and C. artemisice, EupitJiecia 

 innotata, &c. 



Fenland and water-side vegetation is frequent, seeing that 

 two rivers, the Spree and the Havel, and about ten large lakes 

 are in the district. 



During the winter months very little collecting could be done, 

 but searching the trunks of oaks and alders produced cocoons of 

 Hoplitis milJiaiiseri and Cerura hicuspis, and, when the lakes are 

 frozen over, and one can get at the reeds, the larvae of Senta 

 maritima and Leucania obsolcta may be secured in numbers. The 

 former is obtained by searching the old burrows of Nonagria 

 geminipimcta, in which they conceal themselves ; the larvaB are 

 easily reared on shredded steak, apple, and other unlikely sub- 

 stances, but must be provided with reeds to hide in, as they 

 otherwise die. L. obsoleta is far easier detected ; the reeds 

 inhabited by the larvae, probably owing to its having eaten 

 through the skin to form its exit, are generally bent over, 

 probably by wind, and all one has to do is to cut the reed low 

 down. This larva hybernates full-fed, and is easily reared ; it 



