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THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



SHERWOOD FOREST. 



By S. L. Mosley. 



Leaving Mrs. Morley's we proceed up the village, 

 past the very church in which Robin Hood is said 

 to have rescued the Maid Marian from a marriage 

 to which she was to be forced against her will, and 

 as a reward she gave the gallant hero her heart 

 and her hand. When we reach the last dwelling 

 we shall see a large garden on the right hand side 

 of the road, with wood palings around, and as it 

 is early morning we had better look them carefully 

 over. I have found many moths perched upon 

 them, and the best side will be that upon which 

 the wind does not blow. Having looked them 

 over let us take the footpath to the extreme left 

 and follow it to the top of the hill. Here we 

 shall see the ground occupied with potatoes upon 

 which the larvae of the Death's-head may some- 

 times be found. Between the potato pieces are 

 numerous flowers of the Ragwort, which is in full 

 bloom in August, and if you come at night with a 

 bull's-eye lantern you will find many moths sucking 

 the juices from the flowers. I have taken Stilbia 

 anomala, Charceis graminis, &c, from these 

 very plants. Along the hawthorn hedge on the 

 left Hybernia rupicapraria is common in January, 

 and from the birches on the right many kinds of 

 larvae may be beaten into an inverted umbrella. 

 Reaching the junction of three drives let us take 

 the one to the right, and at the far end we shall 

 see a large tree with a hollow trunk and a door" 

 way; this is the "Major Oak," inside of which 

 we, and half-a-dozen of our friends may find 

 standing room. At the roots of this tree I have 

 found the pupa of Notodonta dodonea and Ennomys 

 erosaria on its trunk. By digging at the roots of 

 the other large trees to the right I have found 

 pupae of that beautiful moth Agriopis aprilina, 

 and it was just here, let me tell you, that I did my 

 first night's sugaring at Sherwood, and it will be 

 a long time before I forget it: such a sight ! thirty 

 or forty moths on one batch of sugar, running at 

 each other like wild beasts as soon as I put the 

 light of my lamp upon them, and I bewildered — 

 not knowing which to box. In August, here you 

 will find Euperia fulvago ; it was very common 

 in 1872, but so many were taken that season — one 

 person bringing away 2000 — that it has been rather 

 scarce since. Along with it, at sugar, you find 

 Amphipyra pyramided, Tryphcena fimbria and 



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janthina, Ooneptera libatrix, and that pretty 

 little moth, Crambus pinetellus. On the bracken 

 here in August I have found the pretty, striped 

 larvre of Hadena pisi. Coming back to the 

 " Major" we see a long expanse of waste, with- 

 out trees, only a few thorn bushes to our right ; 

 on this waste I have found the larva? of the 

 Fox Moth very abundant in September, and from 

 the thorn bushes we may beat larvae of Nola 

 cuculatella. Standing in the doorway of the 

 " Major," with our face towards Edwinstowe and 

 our back to the waste, on our right is a broad 

 drive ; let us proceed along this drive. On each 

 side is a broad strip of ling, and beyond that 

 trees, — on the left chiefly oak, and on the ri 

 principally birch, from which this part of the foresl 

 is called "birkland." On the ling I have taker I 

 Noctua glareosa in abundance, with a lamp al 

 night, in September, and during the daytime yov 

 may obtain larvae of Anarta myrtilli and Eupe 

 thecia minutata by sweeping it with a net. Fron 

 the birch trees I have beaten the larvae of Platxjp 

 teryx falcula, Cymataphora fiavicornis, Haden 

 contigua, &c, and from the oaks, a little highe 

 up, Thecia quercus, Orgyia pudibunda, Eurymen 

 dolobraria, Phorodesma bajularia, Pygcera bu 

 cephala, Notodonta camelina, and a host 

 commoner things ; Stauropus fagi also occurs o: 

 these trees, but I have never been so fortunate a 

 to secure one. After leaving the "Major" th 

 first drive on the left will bring us back to th 

 three roads near the potato pieces again. Alon 

 this drive I have always found the best place fc 

 sugaring, and the large black patches on the tre 

 trunks show that it is frequently used for th; 

 purpose. I have been along this drive alone whe 

 it has been thundering and lightning, and th 

 ground fairly reeking with the rain, and the onl 

 specimen of Epunda nigra which I ever took ws 

 taken that very night when insects actually swarn 

 ed at sugar. On the sugar here too I have take 

 Chosrocampa porcellus, Cymatophora dilub 

 common ; Cerigo cytherea, Lwperina cespiti 

 Agrotis suffusa, Noctua C-nigrum, neglecta an 

 Dahlii, Aplecta occulta, Hadena protea, common 

 and in the late autumn Anchocelis rufina, commoi 

 Orthosa mascilenta, Cerastis spadicea, Misel 

 oxyacanthcB, some very dark ; and hosts 

 commoner things. On the underwood, by searc 

 ing with the lantern, Hybernia aurantiaria ai 

 Cheimatobia boreata may be taken freely. Tl 



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