Insects. 401 



Assington-woods are situate about three miles east of Sudbury, and 

 contain about live hundred acres. They are principally composed of 

 oaks, with a thick underwood of hazel, willow, ash, berry-bearing al- 

 der &c, and in one part completely carpeted with that beautiful fern, 

 Blechnum boreale ; but the chief attractions to the entomologist are 

 the thickets or broom-fields, these are pieces of about two acres each, 

 surrounded by the high road, and are composed of long grass, heath, 

 furze and broom, with here and there a stunted oak, birch, aspen and 

 willow. My first excursion was made on the 23rd of May, accom- 

 panied by a guide. Tt was a most beautiful morning : Gonepteryx 

 Rhamni, Mancipium Cardamines, Melitsea Euphrosyne, Hipparchia 

 iEgeria, Megara and Pamphilus were very abundant : took one spe- 

 cimen of Thecla Rubi and several of Thymele Alveolus and Tages, 

 Chesias obliquaria two, Hercyna maculata one, Acidalia floslactata 

 three, Pyrausta purpuralis one, P. sordidalis several. A larva of Gas- 

 tropacha quercifolia from the willow, one specimen of Leptura rufi- 

 cornis, one of Dorytomus Tortrix, and Chrysomela litura in plenty. I 

 was told adders abounded, and killed two with the handle of my net. 



My second visit took place on the 5th of June. I entered the thic- 

 kets about 11 a.m., and captured three specimens of Thecla Rubi, two 

 of Dasychira pudibunda, one of Lithosia Aureola, Phasiane plumba- 

 ria in abundance, one of Minoa euphorbiata, several of JBercyna ma- 

 culata, three of Margaritia fuscalis, a larva of Dasychira fascelina from 

 the broom; Rhynchites Populi, one specimen, Saperda populnea 

 twenty from the aspen, Leptura melanura and ruficornis, one of each 

 and three of Chrysomela rufipes. The Coleoptera were all inadver- 

 tently put together into a tin canister; when this was opened, on my 

 return home, every specimen of Saperda populnea was completely 

 spoiled, and most of the others injured ; to get a fresh supply I made 

 my third visit on the 23rd of June, but could only find two specimens 

 of S. populnea, and none of the other Coleoptera. Melitaea Selene 

 was rather plentiful and in fine condition. I took two specimens of Ne- 

 meophila Plantaginis, and saw two of Xerene hastata, which escaped. 



My fourth visit was made on the 15th of July, in search of Arayn- 

 nis Paphia, which some years (I was informed) was very abundant 

 but could see only one specimen. Hipparchia Hyperanthus Pam- 

 phila linea and Sylvanus were abundant. I took several of Anthro- 

 cera Filipendulse, Angerona prunaria one, Hipparchus papilionarius 

 one, Chesias obliquaria one : saw larvae of Gonepteryx Rhamni feed- 

 ing on Rhamnus Frangula, and brushed three of Thecla Rubi from 



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