NOTES.
205
Whale at Tilbury.—According to a paragraph in the "Times" of October
20th, a whale was washed on shore close to Tilbury Fort on the previous day.
The animal, which is said to have been thirty-five feet in length, has been claimed
by the Crown. We hope to receive particulars as to the species, etc., of this
interesting derelict for a future number.—Ed.
English and French Partridge and Pheasant Laying in the Same
Nest.—Instances have frequently been recorded of the common and red-legged
partridges laying in the same nest, and I have more than once found this the case ;
also either partridge and the pheasant are known to lay together, but this year my
man John Moss found a nest in Hazeleigh Hall Wood containing six pheasants'
eggs, four common partridges' and one red-leg's. The partridges' eggs were
"redistributed" and the pheasant eventually hatched off with eight young.—
Edward A. Fitch, Maldon, September, 1887.
Partridges Alighting in the Water.—A curious incident occurred near
West Tilbury, on Friday last, October 7th. A covey of birds, nine in number,
started to fly across the Thames (which at this point is from a mile to a mile
and a quarter wide) from Essex into Kent, and the whole of them fell into
the water, and were picked up by watermen.—"Reader" in "Field," October
15th, 1887.
Bembidium lunatum, Duft., in Essex.—At the meeting of the South
London Entomological Society on August nth last, Mr. Lewcock exhibited
about a dozen specimens of this beetle, taken on the banks of the Thames at
Rainham, during August, 1886. Previous to this, Mr. Lewcock had only met
with single specimens.
Sphinx convolvuli, L., at Ilford.—I took a fine male S. convolvuli at
Ilford Park, Essex, as it was flying over a bed of petunias, on August 8th, and
saw, a day or two ago, Macroglossa stellatarum in the same place. I may add
that we are only seven miles from London.—A. E. Tonge, in the "Entomologist"
for September, 1887.
Larva of Harpipteryx scabrella, L., in Epping Forest.—I met with
the larva of this pretty moth rather commonly this year among the hawthorns in
Epping Forest, about the middle of June. Like all the Cerostoma larvae that I
am acquainted with, they are excessively active, and require a close-fitting cage
to keep them from escaping. They so closely resemble the larvae of H. horridella
as to be separated with difficulty ; but those of the latter feed on blackthorn, and
are, perhaps, a shade paler. They appear to suffer little from ichneumons, and
are comparatively easy to rear.—William Machin, Carlton Square, E., in the
"Entomologist" for September, 1887.
Dicycla oo and Eubolia cervinata at Grays.—Returning from Grays by
the 6.24 down train on September 28th, after a day's "deneholing" in Hang-
man's Wood, upon my arrival at the railway station with no time to spare, the
lamps were just being lighted and I noticed two moths, a Noctua and a Geometer,
upon the glass of one, probably just disturbed after a day's rest thereon. I picked
them off and shut them up in the cover of a book I had with me, and upon getting
into the train was rather surprised to find Dicycla 00 and Eubolia cervinata,
neither of them by any means common species. Surely it was late for the pretty
but somewhat uncertain New Forest noctua, Dicycla, which, I am pleased to see
by Mr. Oldham's note is an inhabitant of our own Forest (Essex Naturalist i.,
168). It is a species I should not have expected in so different a locality as the
banks of the Thames. I fear the large number of brilliant electric lights at
Tilbury Docks will demoralise a portion of the lepidopterous fauna of the district.
—Edward A. Fitch, Maldon, Essex, September 29th, 1887. [Dicycla 00 was
taken somewhat freely at "sugar" in Epping Forest by myself and friends some
years ago, and the same season the moth quite swarmed in New Forest. I
am informed that the moth has occurred commonly in Epping Forest in the
experience of several collectors during the present summer.—W. Cole.]
Rev. Thomas Benson's Herbarium.—We are very pleased to announce
that Mrs. Sidney Thorpe, of Sible Hedingham, has kindly presented her late
father's Essex herbarium (see Essex Nat. i. 139) to the Club.