42 
recorded from Hitchin on May 80th by Mr. A. N. Foster, with a remark 
that it is not often taken in Hertfordshire, which I believe is correct. 
Mr. L. W. Newman has recorded having seen them in cop. on June 
15th and 16th at Folkestone, and that the specimens were all in bad 
condition, especially the females. This Avould certainly point to the 
fact that these early specimens were the result of an immigration and 
if the weather in July and August had been really hot, we should 
probably have had another Edam year, possibly to equal the great 
season of 1877. In that year they were literally everywhere, and in 
such unlikely places as Notting Hill and Earl’s Court, where I saw 
one on the banks of the Metropolitan District Railway. In Hertford¬ 
shire they were in great numbers, where I took as many as I then 
wanted. We have had good Edusa years since then, but nothing in 
my opinion has ever come up to the year 1877. 
There is an interesting note in the “ Entomologist” by Mr. E. E. 
Bentall, on breeding Papilio machaon on a large scale, and endeavour¬ 
ing to colonise the insect in his own district. This apparently has 
failed, as many similar attempts have done before, but hitherto the 
causes of want of success have not been so clearly noted. In this 
case the decimating causes were both from birds and parasites, with 
a result which gives little hope of this grand species ever spreading its 
range, and becoming generally distributed. 
As our amalgamation with the North London Entomological and 
Natural History Society is now an accomplished fact, I can only express 
my sincere hope that the fusion will be a benefit to us all. My short 
acquaintance with a few of the members of the other society gives me 
confidence that at least we shall be making friends with kindred spirits, 
and although we shall no longer be a Society almost entirely of 
lepidopterists, we shall undoubtedly greatly increase our sphere of 
knowledge, as many of the members of the North London are 
specialists in other branches of Natural History. 
It now only remains for me to tender my heartiest thanks to those 
officers of our Society who have so diligently fulfilled the posts accepted 
by them, and I will conclude with an expression of thanks on my own 
part for the long continuance of your confidence which I have enjoyed,, 
and I am sure that it is the wish of us all that the new order of things 
may prosper. 
REPORTS OF FIELD MEETINGS. 
June 7th, 1918, to Brentwood. Leader, A. J. Willsdon. 
Although the weather was very unpropitious in the early part of the 
day, it had improved by the afternoon and the evening was quite 
delightful. Dusking proved very remunerative, but sugaring was 
fruitless. Six members comprised the party, and much appreciated 
the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Frost, of The Bungalow, who so 
kindly provided tea. The imagines taken were A. selene, C. pamphilus, 
P.pJdaeas, L. icarus, S. malvae, S.lubricipeda, H. dentina, E. venustula, 
E. dolobraria, Z. porata, A. remutata, C. pusaria, exanthemaria, P. 
petraria, M. montanata , and E. atom ana. Larvae of H. bicolorana r 
xxii.-xxiii. 
