1885.] 
A Glance at Epping Forest. 237 
and vast quantities of bushes had evidently disappeared. 
Here and there trunks lay prostrate, whilst charred and 
blackened spots showed where the brushwood had been 
consumed. Besides all this, deep channels had been cut in 
the clayey soil, conveying away its moisture to that puerility 
the Cunnaught Water,” entirely out of keeping with the 
general character of the scenery. In consequence the 
ground, which in this portion of the soil had been naturally 
damp, and in many spots even somewhat swampy, was now 
dry. A change had in consequence come over its vegeta- 
tmn, which was, as far as we could judge, becoming less 
varied and luxuriant. The way in which the axe and the 
bill-hook had been used had also efferted a great change. 
Formerly a prominent feature of this region of the Forest 
was glades of an irregular shape, 5, 10, or perhaps in some 
cases 20 yaids across, walled in with dense masses of 
shrubs, such as sloe, whitethorn, and wild roses. These 
glades, scieened from every wind and guarded against the 
desiccation of the soil, were the favourite haunts of butter- 
flies, moths, bees, and other inserts. Now we do not feel 
free to say that none of these retreats are left, but they are 
certainly far less numerous than formerly. The mounds of 
vegetation, which screened them from chilly winds and from 
drought, have been broken down, and they are rendered 
comparatively bleak and arid,— a kind of “'Conservation ” 
which the inserts and the birds evidently do not appreciate. 
The lower edge of this region was once a favourite haunt 
of the viper and of the grass-snake; but on the day in 
question no trace of either of these reptiles was perceptible. 
Our friend was much struck with the obvious scarcity even 
of the commoner kinds of butterflies. 
One moth, indeed, the green Oak-Tortrix, was but too 
common. It was dancing among the topmost branches of 
the trees, and descended in perfert showers if a bough was 
shaken or struck. The damage, which had evidently been 
wrought by these little creatures whilst in the condition of 
larvae, was amazing, the leafage of the oaks looking quite 
shrivelled up. For this pest neither the Conservators, nor 
the “ experienced Forester” (their adviser), nor even H.R.H. 
the Ranger, had found any remedy. 
A curious fart is that numbers of these moths were sitting 
on the smooth trunks and branches of the trees, where their 
bright green upper wings made them quite conspicuous even 
at a distance of 6 to 8 yards. This is certainly not a case 
of “ protective colouration.” Many species of inserts seem 
VOL. vii. (third series.) 2 o 
