3246 Insects. 



Entomological Localities. By J. W. Douglas, Esq. 



(Continued from page 3219). 



Birch Wood. 



" The wood, 

 The covert of old trees with trunks all hoar, 

 But light leaves young as joy. * * * 

 A populous solitude of bees and birds, 

 And fairy-form'd and many-coloured things.'' 



Byron. — Childe Harold. 



Fourteen miles on the road from London to Maidstone, in an iron 

 frame on the top of a post, the portrait of a Bull — not by Morland or 

 Landseer — swings blistering in the summer's sun, or creaking in the 

 winter's wind. From all extremes of weather it is intended to an- 

 nounce to the traveller, that at the inn over the way he may obtain 

 shelter, and such other means and appliances as may be needful. 

 Many a time and oft, in past years, have I proved what a hive of good 

 things this house was, not the less disposed to praise the sweets set 

 before me on account of a walk from town before breakfast. Here it 

 is that the oldest of our entomological associations — the Entomologi- 

 cal Club — holds its annual field-day ; on which, if it is evident, that 

 like all old things it is very different to what it was when young, it is 

 still apparent that it has lost none of the feelings of good fellowship 

 and fun by which it has ever been distinguished. Close by is Birch 

 Wood, of an extent that appears boundless, with paths that seem to 

 be cut through a solidity of foliage ; — such a glorious place to spend 

 a summer's day in, and revel among 



" The wild odour of the forest flowers, 



The music of the living grass and air, 



And emerald light of leaf-entangled beams." 



The soil is loam, in some parts sandy, and besides most of the kinds 

 of trees and shrubs found at Darenth Wood, there are larch and 

 Scotch fir. For the same reason as that before given (Zool. 3218), I 

 am unable to say much of the smaller moths of this wood ; but for all 

 the larger Lepidoptera it is unrivalled near London. I enumerate 

 the more uncommon species. 



Endromis versicolor. April, flying ; (Ent. Mag. vol. iv.) 

 Stauropus Fagi. Larvao on oaks and birches ; August. 



