MAGRO-LEPIDOPTERA AT SHERWOOD FOREST, 



By S. L. Mosley. 



When a natuTalist is about to visit a locality new to him, it is always 

 a desideratum to obtain some knowledge of its probable productions ; 

 alas I naturalists (?) are sometimes yery loath to giye such information 

 to a brother seeking it, or, if the information be.giyen, the particular 

 habitat of some good thing " is held back, hidden in an avaricious 

 and selfish breast. The withholding of such information may in 

 some eases be right and justifiable, as, for instance, in the case of a 

 person I could name, who, " from information received," went to a 

 certain place, and after gathering all the buff-tip larvae he wanted for 

 himself, cut down all the branches he could see with any more larvae 

 on them, and threw them into the river ! 



I do not want to moralise on such proceedings : what I wish to say 

 is, that when a naturalist visits a locality, if he would publish the 

 results of his visit, it would be a finger-post to others following in 

 his steps, and he need not be afraid of them coming to the hands of 

 such a person as the one I have mentioned. 



I first visited Sherwood Forest in August, 1872, for the purpose 

 of collecting Euperia fulvago^ Mr. Porritt being the guide to the 

 small party of which I was one. Since then, my frequent visits have 

 made me pretty familiar with the place — in fact going there seems 

 almost like going home. I am sorry to say that the keepers are 

 doing all they can to stop collecting, especially " sugaring," which 

 bait is the entomologist!s chief weapon at Sherwood ; but I have no 

 doubt Earl Manvers would give permission to any person who would 

 apply in a proper manner. The entomologist will have no difficulty 

 in distinguishing the main sugaring drives, as the trees bear con- 

 spicuous black patches by the constant application of this mixture to 

 their trunks. 



It must be understood that the following list includes only those 

 species I have taken myself, or which I know have been taken^ 

 without reference at all to other lists published some time ago v — 



Pieris brassicae, rapse, and napi — common, of course. 

 Gonepteryx rhamni. I have taken a single specimen. 

 Argynnis Adippe. Two specimens, both much worn. 

 Vanessa urticae. Common. 

 V. polychloros. One by Mr. Bairstow, 187^. 



