12 



it was resting. On reaching the road, a few paces to the left brought 

 us to the turning on our right that leads to Banstead village, which 

 was to be our ultimate destination, and immediately we were beside 

 an open down. 



An intermittentsunshine with a very light westerly breeze made ideal 

 weather for our purposes, pleasant for walking, and yet bright enough 

 to keep the butterflies on the wing ; and, as might be expected, the 

 " blues " were met with in goodly numbers, the species represented 

 being Lyccena teams, and L. medon, with a sprinkling of L. hellargus. 

 One specimen of the first-named species secured by Mr. Kemp 

 proved to be an interesting variety, a male having a bleached patch 

 on one of its fore-wings, similar to the bleaching frequently met 

 with in Epinephele ianira. But the length of the journey before us 

 forbade our lingering on these delightful slopes among the rock- rose 

 and wild thyme, then in full bloom, and, taking to the road once 

 more, a park paling of some half-mile in length was reached, a 

 casual search as we passed along producing, among other species, 

 Dianthcecia nana, Hadena dentina, and Anaitis plagiata. A guide- 

 post bearing the direction " Footpath to Burgh Heath," standing 

 beside a gate in the fence, warned us that we had reached the point 

 at which we were to leave the road, and take to the grass and wood- 

 lands. Passing through the gate and ascending a gentle slope across 

 a wide belt of delightfully soft turf, our attention was arrested by one 

 of those curious phenomena commonly known as fairy rings, a very 

 perfect example measuring about six feet across, and consisting of 

 the champignon or fairy-ring mushroom [Marasmiiis oreades), an 

 edible species. A few minutes earlier we had passed a small group 

 of the allied but acrid species, M. la-ens. At the top of the slope 

 Banstead Wood was entered, a comparatively small fenced-off portion 

 of which is, however, available, the greater portion being enclosed 

 in the park that surrounds the mansion. The timber consists chiefly 

 of beech, oak, and cherry, the last comprising some of the finest 

 examples of the species to be found in the district. The under- 

 growth is scanty, and of the usual mixed character. 



Leaving the wood, some meadows were crossed, in a couple of 

 which large numbers of young pheasants were running about, and 

 perching on hencoops in which they had recently been hatched. 

 Then another wood with an old chalk pit and some waste ground 

 adjoining was reached. Some little time was spent here, and a 

 number of captures made. From this point the footpath bends some- 

 what abruptly, and assumes the proportions of a well-kept country 

 lane with low hedges on either side, and here and there a cottage or 

 farmhouse; and as such surroundings hardly suggested the probability 

 of any great reward for time bestowed upon their investigation, we 

 passed over this part of our route somewhat speedily until the sign- 

 post bearing the inscription "Footpath to Banstead Church " was 

 reached. Unfortunately the time remaining at our disposal was 

 getting short, and the tempting-looking woods which the footpath 



