A Glance at Upping Forest. [September, 
538 
to seleft resting-places agreeing closely in coiour with them- 
selves, and thus escape the notice of them enemms , but |h 
Tortrix seemed almost to court observation. Especially a 
vast number of pairs in copula had selected such exposed 
situations. Can it be that this species is sc ) : far secuied 
against extinction by its fearful fecundity that it has not 
acquired the usual proteaive instincts ? . 
As we went on and on, one point at least became eviden . 
the Conservators were doing no further mischief. No work- 
men were to be seen ; no more trees were being felled, and 
no more draining operations were being conduced But 
this is small consolation. The question is how the mis 
chief is to be undone ? The bushes will, if unmolested, 
gradually grow up again and shut out the ™d; bu 
Nature, we fear, without aaive assistance, will he p 
less to block up the drains and to retain in the Forest the 
moisture which now goes to feed the “ Connaught \\ aten 
And we do not see how the ‘‘Conservators can be 
brought so far to reverse their policy and own themselves 
m Crossing 1 the Epping Road, and visiting the high grounds 
in the extreme north-eastern part of the Forest, we fo 
that the old gravel-pits had been filled up and levelled. N 
a recent gravel-pit is no very attractive object ; but when it 
has become old, when its bottom is a pool, the JJ ° 
water-plants and aquatic insects and molluscs, a ^ when 
its sides are covered with straggling vegetation, it becomes 
precious to the naturalist. We greatly fear that as fai at 
least as this locality is concerned, entire species have been 
exterminated by the levelling operations, the filling up of 
the gravel-pits in this part of the Forest. \\ e saw, for 1 
stance, not a single tiger-beetle. And if we remember that 
the slopes of these pits were the chief spots wheie the : larvae 
of this insedd burrowed, we may well suppose that such a 
burial must prove fatal. Similar will have been the fate of 
various fossorial Hymenoptera. , . 
In the same section of the Forest, but at a much low 
level and nearer the Epping Road, was formerly a rushy 
spot, which in wet seasons was partially under watei, and in 
the driest weather remained decidedly moist. Foimeily tl 
spot was a centre of attraction for butterflies, just as is the 
“ Robin Hood” for human visitors to the Forest, but we 
found this once marshy patch dry, and not a s mg e 
butterfly was hovering over it. Hence we feai that heie, 
too, some draining operation has been carried on, thoug 1 
