106
THE LEPIDOPTERA OF ESSEX.
brown lines on side, pale cream-brown line below spiracles ; head brown. Food—
Primrose, cowslip. Imago—May and June ; hibernates as pupa.
Rare and very local, especially so considering how common is its
food-plant; always in or on the borders of woods.
Bromley Thickets and Hartley Wood [St. Osyth] (Jermyn ;
V.M. 65). Hartley Wood, St. Osyth (Harwood ; E.M.M. iv. 162 ;
B.B. 104). Still occurs in several of the larger woods in Tendring
Hundred (Harwood). Gaynes Park and Ongar Park Woods, near
Epping, 1839-41. "It held its own fairly well for three years, and
then suddenly vanished, never to appear again within my knowledge"
(English ; E.N. i. 110). Epping (S.M. i. 49). Woodham Ferris
Hall Wood, common but local (Raynor ; T.E.F.C. iii. 38). East-
wood, not common (Vaughan ; E.N. iii. 126). Used formerly to
be taken near Saffron Walden; there are fifteen specimens in the
"old collection" (G. N. Maynard).
Syrichthus malvae, L. Grizzled Skipper.
Geographical Distribution—Europe, North and West Asia. In Britain doubt-
fully absent from Ireland.
Larva—Ochreous-green, pinkish on back of anterior segments, five faint lines ;
head dark purplish-brown. Food—Barren wild strawberry, wild raspberry and
bramble. Imago—May, August (rarely) ; hibernates as pupa.
Common throughout the county, but local, and, from its buzzing,
Noctua-like flight, not easily seen or captured.
Nisoniades tages, L. Dingy Skipper.
Geographical Distribution—Europe, North and West Asia (except polar regions).
Throughout Britain.
Larva—Yellowish-green, darker line on back, pale streak below small red
spiracles; head purplish-brown. Food—Bird's-foot trefoil. Imago—May, August ;
hibernates as larva.
Not common, and local. It is very inconspicuous, and difficult
to see or capture. Only a single specimen from Colchester district,
captured near Langham Lodge Wood by Tillaney, thirty years ago ;
Mr. Harwood has never seen this species alive.
[N. tages is not uncommon in some seasons in Epping Forest;
Prof. Meldola found it somewhat abundantly north of Monk's Wood
in June, 1889. We again saw it in some numbers in 1890.— W.
Cole].
Hesperia thaumas, Hufn. Small Skipper.
Geographical Distribution—Central and South Europe to Scandinavia, West
Asia, North Africa, North America. In Britain absent from Scotland.
Larva—Light green, darker stripe on back, two paler stripes on side ; head,