session. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL SECTION 



No meetings were held owing to poor attendance in the previous 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 



TN spite of poor weather members of the Section pursued their activities 

 -'- with enthusiasm and some success. Two meetings of the South 

 London Entomological Society were held within our area, at Ham 

 Street on June 16th, and at Folkestone on July 8th. They were attended 

 by several of our members, as were excursions of the Kent Field Club 

 at Challock Woods on May 27th and at Sandwich on July 7th. The 

 Section combined a business meeting with an excursion to Dungeness 

 on September 8th. The meeting at Challock was distinguished by 

 the discovery of larvae of the Bufi Footman, Eilema deplana (Esper), 

 which were beaten from ancient yew trees by Mr. Bushby, and that at 

 Sandwich by the discovery of a vast colony of the very local burnet 

 moth Zygaena lonicerae (von Sch.). At Dungeness insects were generally 

 scarce : a curious absence was that of the larvae of the local Tortrix 

 Peronea hastiana (Linn). These are usually to be found in immense 

 numbers in spun shoots of the creeping willow and are collected by 

 those who study variation in this insect. The moth emerges in Sept- 

 ember and October and oviposits in the spring after hibernation. I 

 can only attribute its disappearance to the effects of the cold weather 

 in February on the hibernators. It should be sought for again next 

 summer. 



1956 was heralded by a wet January followed by viciously cold 

 weather in February and March. April and May were dry and bright 

 with a cold wind, the summer months wet and generally cold, the autumn 

 dry with periodic warmth and cold, and now, in early December, it is 

 mild and rather pleasant. 



There is little to relate as regards butterflies. The early ones 

 were up to the average in numbers and at Challock on May 27th 17 

 species' were counted, mostly in numbers, particularly the little Duke 

 of Burgundy Fritillary which I have never previously seen so common. 

 June, the first of four wet months, brought the change. A few Painted 

 Ladies were seen in early June, but few of their progeny later ; the 

 Clouded Yellow was not recorded at all ; the Vanessids were scarce 

 with Red Admirals and Commas unusually rare. 



In dealing with moths the picture is brighter. The Death's Head, 

 Acherontia atropos (Linn.), had a good year and was taken nearly every- 

 where in the autumn, mainly in towns. Specimens were usually freshly 



