THE LEPIDOPTERA OF LEYTON AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 155
I have taken it in the Forest near Wanstead, and my mother has
taken it in the same locality. V. urticae was common in the spring
and autumn.
With reference to the habits of Vanessas, I recollect an observa-
tion which caused me the greatest interest at the time. In the small
plantations near the Orphan Asylum above mentioned, there were
(and still are) many old birch trees with rugged trunks. From
wounds in the bark or some other cause, the sap had exuded from
several of the trees and had trickled down the trunk in a long dark
streak, extending from near the top of the trunk to the roots. This
exudation had attracted numbers of V. io and V. atalanta, and one
or two V, polychloros were also seen, the butterflies flying round and
settling on the dark streak of moist bark. As the insects sat with
wings alternately opened and closed, after the manner of their family,
they seemed to me, even at that time, to reveal the meaning of the
sombre mottling of the under surface of the wings which harmonised
so well with the mottled bark, that when they sat motionless with
closed wings they were almost invisible, especially when viewed
"end on," i.e., in the plane of the closed wings.
The only specimen of Argynnis paphia taken at Leyton is the
one referred to by Mr. Fitch. It was a somewhat tattered male
captured in August, 1868, on the flowers of a patch of thyme
growing in the garden. I have records of having seen this species
in Epping Forest (near High Beach), on July 31st, 1870, and July
19th, 1872 ; and my mother has also seen it in the Forest, on at least
one occasion near Wanstead. Of the other Fritillaries, A. selene has
been taken by me some what rarely in the Forest between Monk's
Wood and Epping, and A. euphrosyne more commonly in the same
part of the Forest. I have seen one or both these species in the same
locality within recent years, and they appear to be getting commoner.
Satyridae. Pararge egeria was never seen at Leyton, but com-
monly in the Forest. P. megaera was occasionally taken in the
garden, but more commonly in the Forest. Epinephele janira was
common in the garden and abundant among the grass of the marshes.
E. tithonus was only an occasional visitor to the garden, although
common enough in the Forest. E. hyperanthus never appeared in
the garden, but was common in the Forest. Coenonympha pamphilus
was common everywhere.
Lycaenidae. Thecla betulae was well known to occur in the
neighbourhood of High Beach, where its larva was beaten from the