proved to be an exceedingly useful place in which to keep one's 

 breeding-cages. 



But the steep bank at the end of the garden was a bit of a puzzle ; 

 to plant flowers upon its poor gravelly soil was evidently useless. I 

 don't know whether it was simply a desire to have some of the more 

 useful food-trees handy, or whether it was an inherent love of the 

 woods that guided me in my ultimate decision to make it into a 

 miniature forest. At any rate, a hunt was made for saplings : oak 

 and birch, ash, wych elm, sallow, hawthorn, maple, plum, lime, and a 

 sturdy young grey poplar were all appropriated and duly planted. A 

 few brambles, a lilac or two, and a liberal supply of common sorts of 

 ferns put a finishing touch to the whole, while dog's-mercury, a small 

 species of willow herb and sundry other " weeds " soon came upon 

 the scene uninvited ; some lived, some died, but of all the trees that 

 particular grey poplar has been the most assertive. Ever since it 

 was planted it has taken the lead of all the others, it has grown enor- 

 mously, it is the bane of the gardener, its roots burst up the paths 

 and grass plats, its catkins in spring and falling leaves in autumn 

 keep the place in a continuous litter, and in summer the drip from 

 its leaves is ruination to any flowers planted near it. Yet it is a 

 delightful tree, its graceful branches, its fluttering leaves, its soughing 

 to the soft wind that comes up before the rain, all endear it to one's 

 mind, and it supports a larger lepidopterous family than any other 

 tree or shrub in the garden. Amorpha popiili, Dicranura vinula and 

 Acronycta megacephala have bred regularly in it fur many years past ; 

 a couple of JDicranufa bifida that were found at rest near its base 

 were ultimately traced lo it, their empty cocoons being found upon 

 its trunk in the following winter ; and although I have not actually 

 found the larvae upon it there can be little doubt that it is respon- 

 sible for the numerous specimens of Hedya aceriaiia and Grapho- 

 iitha minutana that are frequently taken at rest near by, while 

 2\ichyptilia populella feeds regularly within its rolled leaves, and in 

 spring and autumn Cya/iiris argiohts is wont to flit around its upper 

 branches, its fluttering leaves apparently having some special attrac- 

 tion for it. 



Several other of the common species also established themselves, 

 Camptograinma bilineafa, of course, soon put in an appearance ; 

 Cheimatohia brumata is always present, and at times a positive 

 nuisance ; Eitplexia hicipara ravages the ferns, and is often ably 

 assisted in its work of destruction by Spilosoma liibricipeda and 

 ^S'. me/it/iastri, which also in company with Mamestra brassiac, M. 

 persicaruc, and Hadena oieracea sadly disfigure the geraniums in 

 autumn. The rose trees support a numerous family of Tortrices, 

 of which perhaps Fardia tripnnctana is the most destructive, and 

 still survives, although perpetual war is waged against it. Sundry 

 dead fern-roots that occur from time to time may, perhaps, be attri- 

 butable to the work of Hepialus syivanus and H. h/pulinus, both of 

 which species have occurred sparingly but fairly regularly for many 



