PoRRiTT : A Fortnight in the Fens. 



119 



Nonagria Hellmanni commonly, along with Leucania pudorina, and a 

 few lovely L. phragmitidis. An Acidalia which came very freely was 

 immutata ; this delicate-looking moth we afterwards found was in 

 the greatest profusion all over the fen. Liihosia griseola, too, was in 

 capital condition and very common, with many other species. 



Having finished our setting, we went out to ascertain what the fen 

 looked like by daylight. We found it was composed of a rich variety 

 of vegetation, and indeed was as gay as a garden with bright flowers 

 of all colours. Amongst the plants we recognised were sedge, reed, 

 Sagitta sagittifolia, Ly thrum Salicaria, Thalictrum flavum^ Spircea 

 Ulmaria, Butomus umbellatus, Eupatorium cannabinum, Vicia, Convol- 

 vulus major, Peucedanum palustre, Angelica sylvestris, Symphytum 

 offi,cinale, Valeriana oficinalis, Epilobium hirsutum, frogbit, and many 

 others. In the ditches the great water lily was abundant in full 

 bloom, its large, lovely white flowers looking like stars on the surface 

 of the water. This varied vegetation altogether forms a tall and 

 dense herbage, and, fortunately, is farmed profitably by the holders 

 of the fen land. I say fortunately as a lepidopterist, for, had it been 

 useless, the whole of Wicken Fen would doubtless long since have 

 been drained and properly cultivated, as indeed the great bulk of it 

 (along with all the old surrounding fens) already has been, and as all 

 will be sooner or later. The fact that the Fen hay, as it is called, 

 can be used to advantage, however, and made to pay, seems to deter 

 some of the holders from going to the necessarily great expense of 

 draining. The dried sedge is used for thatching very extensively in 

 the district, nearly the whole of Wicken — houses, stables, sheds, and 

 outhouses of all descriptions being closely thatched to the depth of 

 towards a foot with this material. The older thatches, too, are often 

 grown over with a thick layer of moss. 



Turning from the plants to the lepidoptera, we found there was 

 comparatively little to be done in the daytime in the fen. Odd 

 specimens of Hyria auroraria, Hydroelia unca, Liparis salicisj with a 

 few Tortrices and Crambites, were about all we picked up as 

 images. Larvae of Eupithecia valerianata were plentiful in the flower 

 heads of Valeriana oficinalis, and those of Simyra venosa occurred 

 on sedge, but little else. In the evening we went down again with 

 our lamps, when moths were so abundant, in contrast to their appa- 

 rent paucity in the daytime, that we marvelled where they had all 

 been hid. The species taken the previous night occurred again, and 

 in addition to those previously mentioned, Nonagria despecta^ Miana 

 <ircvma, Nudaria senex, Chilo phragmitellus, and Scopaiia pallida were 



