110 



THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



and brake ferns we pick up those delicate 

 petraria, which always have a worn appear- 

 ance; they fly rather freely at dusk. In 

 the moist open spaces, where the birches 

 abound, we beat out rivata and sociata, with 

 the little Emerald (lodis lactearia ) An 

 abundant insect everywhere, montanata here 

 flourishes, and very beautiful they are too. 

 Pcctinitaria, the Green Carpet, here occurs 

 on the trunks of the trees, generally in the 

 darker places ; some of them are faded and 

 suffused with a reddish tinge, by the action, 

 of the damp air. They require a very care- 

 ful approach, as they are off like a shot if 

 disturbed. 



Having now done with the close forest, 

 descending the glades, and pushing our way 

 through the bushes, we emerge in the sun- 

 shine, and soon find plenty of maculata — 

 the speckled Yellow — they are also pretty 

 general on Fairmead. We next get puna- 

 taria — the beautiful Maiden's Blush — but 

 the larvae are easily beaten out, and the 

 bred specimens are much finer than what 

 come to the net, as it is a fragile species 

 and soon gets dilapidated. Corylata occurs 

 on the outside trees, but are swift on the 

 wing ; the heat of a summer's day makes 

 some insects sluggish. 



We must now extend the walk across the 

 mead towards Houghton ; approaching the 

 high ground, leaving High Beech on the 

 left we find a large heather space, here 

 atom aria fly in plenty, the females scarce, 

 and clathrata are by no means common. 

 Passing the " Robin Hood" and diving 

 deep down into the wood of small beech 

 trees, we first find trilinearia, the beautiful 

 clay triple lines, and get a good series by 

 hunting them up singly, going up one hill 

 side and down the other. Monks Wood 

 will be no good to us to day, as we have no 

 time to search the big beeches for fagi, so 

 crossing the road we emerge in capital 

 collecting ground, at the back of the King's 

 Oak, High Beech. On the ferns we get 



palumbaria, three specimens in capital 

 condition, a bright green beetle flies swiftly 

 over the heather, a brace of partridges start 

 up with a "whirr," and we continue on over 

 a sort of prarie, dotted here and there with 

 the same old dwarf oak and hornbeam. A 

 solitary pulveraria is a find, but no more 

 are to be got. The larvae of the grass 

 emerald, P. cytisaria are gathered off the tiny 

 yellow broom that grows in patches on the 

 open spaces, they are very handsome larvae 

 and easy to find. In a field by Lippits Hill, 

 we get albulata, but only sparingly ; this 

 little rivulet is generally flying with two 

 noctuae, glyphica and mi. A trip every 

 year will produce enough albulata for a 

 series. On the oak trees earlier in the 

 season, prodromaria occur, and betularia at 

 Woodford. Some years ago hispidaria 

 (pupae) were dug up, and also the moth 

 found on the big trees by Queen Elizabeth's 

 lodge, but I have not heard of their recent 

 capture. Nearing Chingford from the East, 

 a full series of ocellata may be beaten out, 

 with the cream wave (renititata) and 

 sociata. The latter one evening be- 

 came quite a nuisance, riviata are not 

 so frequent. A month later on by 

 going the same route we find flying 

 together M. ruUginata (a beautiful little 

 Carpet), and the Orange Moth (prunaria). 

 Enough for a good row can easily be got, as 

 they are flying in all the glades, males only 

 of prunaria are taken at first. Under 

 the shade of the larger trees, we bring 

 fulvata to the box ; but these are rather 

 scarce, and not in good condition ; it is a 

 perfect little picture when fresh from the 

 pupa. Boarmia repandata frequent the 

 dense plantations ; some nice dark varieties 

 may be obtained here ; they fly pretty 

 swiftly. The large expanse of wing of the 

 next moth quickly calls our attention. 

 Sambucata, in all its pale glory, is seen at 

 dusk ; and the Light Emerald ( Margaritata) t 

 another large Geometer, is generally present 



