14 
EARLY REMINISCENCES 
My Rugby captures in 1867 included Emmelesia decolor ata, 
Scotosia vetulata , Anticlea rubidata, Macaria liturata , Eupithecia 
lariciata, Aventia flexula, and Hedy a servillana. 
In the holidays I took Adela cuprella on Wimbledon Common, 
and Macaria notata in Coombe Wood, as well as Biston hirtaria in 
Hyde Park. Expeditions to Epping and West Wickham do not 
seem to have produced much result, but the appearance of 
Pyrameis cardui at Putney is notable. 
An expedition to the Isle of Wight was chiefly devoted to thatch¬ 
beating for Depressariae. Later I went with my parents to Devon¬ 
shire, my first visit to a county which has since become a second 
home. Among my captures were Agrotis saucia at sugar at Ilfra¬ 
combe and Lynton; Camptogramma fluviata 1 at lamps at Exmouth, 
where I also met with Sterrha sacraria ; thatch yielded Depressaria 
ciliella , yeatiella, albipunctella , and badiella. Among the insects that 
I did not take in Devonshire was “a large butterfly, dark brown, 
almost chocolate-coloured, with a broad white edge to all its wings,” 
which my mother saw at Hele, near Ilfracombe, about the flowers of 
Red Valerian. Unlike its congeners, it did not revisit the same spot 
when I was there with my net. 1 2 
In this year, 1867, Mr. Blackmore had a serious illness, and 
it is my impression that from this time forward he did but little 
collecting in this country. Newman’s “ Moths ” was now coming 
out; I viewed it with mingled feelings. 
It is indicative of the impulsive enthusiasms of youth that 
whereas the diaries state that in the spring I had resolved to work 
at the Tineina especially, a similar resolution as to the Tortrices was 
made in the autumn. However, second thoughts were the more 
enduring and I remained faithful for the three years or so until I 
ceased to collect altogether. Indeed Buckmaster and I entertained 
the ambitious idea of writing a book to supersede Wilkinson’s work, 
but this never took definite shape. 
At Easter, 1868, I left Rugby and divided the next six months 
between working for Oxford and collecting. On Wimbledon 
Common I found Adela cuprella 3 common though very local, and 
also took there Choreutes scintillidana as well as Anehylopera 
subarcuana (inornatana ). Regent’s Park was visited for Biston 
hirtaria. Once again West Wickham was not very productive ; 
but Coombe Wood yielded Notodonta dromedarius , which I had not 
1 In those days common at lamps in the Wandsworth district. 
2 See EntomoloqisVs Monthly Maqazine, Vol. IV., p. 36. 
3 Ibid., Vol. V., p. 77. 
