208
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
that I have, this autumn, taken four specimens in my garden at Woodford. All
in my collection previously were taken at Folkestone.—Chas. Oldham, Wood-
ford, November 11th, 1892.
Agrotis saucia in Mersea.—One of the entomological events of the past
season has been the abundance of this species. During September and the early
part of October, I was at Mersea, and "sugared" every favourable night, my
ground being the small garden attached to our cottage, containing about a dozen
suitable trees. Agrotis saucia first put in an appearance on September 1st, and a
few continued to come to the sweets nearly every night until the 22nd, when they
suddenly increased in numbers, and continued to do so night by night. When I
left the island on October 5th, the moths were still common and in fine condition.
Several specimens were also taken at light and at ivy blossom.—B. G. Cole,
Buckhurst Hill, December, 1892.
Cymatophora ocularis and "Sugaring" in Epping Forest.—On July
1st I had the good fortune to capture, in Epping Forest, a fine specimen of
Cymatophora ocularis ; and on the 5th, an example of Leucania turca. As I had
visited the Forest every season for the last fifteen years and not seen either species
before, I thought the fact worth recording. During the first three weeks of July
I found sugar attractive to moths in Epping Forest. The species most common
were Noctua brunnea, N. augur, N. festiva, Xylophasia hepatica, Aplecta nebulosa
Miana strigilis, Gonophora derasa, Euplexia lucipara, and Tryphaena pronuba. Many
others came in lesser numbers.—Charles Oldham, Woodford, Nov. 24th, 1892.
Sake's (commonly called "Snake's") Lane, Woodford.—In 1888
some notes on the name of this lane, by Mr. Walter Crouch and Mr. N. F.
Robarts, appeared in The Essex Naturalist (vol. ii., pp. 269-70). Their
contention was in favour of "Snake's" being a corruption of "Sake's," which
occurred in an old document in Mr. Crouch's possession. That a man named
"Sake" lived, and was once a landowner in Woodford, is clear from his will
proved in the Court of the Archdeacon of Essex, Oct. 2, 1504 (75, Stephyn),
He desires to be buried in Woodford Churchyard, and leaves 3s. 4d. to the "hie
aulter," and a new Torche, price 6s, 8d., to the church. To each of his
daughters, Agnes and Johan, he leaves, i.a., 20s., to be paid equally by him that
is in possession of his land called "Long Hylis," and him that hath his land
called "Hakfoste."—W. C. Waller, Loughton.
London Smoke and Vegetation.—It would be an interesting study for
those naturalists living near London to attempt to define the limits where the
London smoke affects the vegetation. It is not difficult to get a rough estimate
of this by steeping boughs of trees in water and watching the discolouration.
There is generally none in pure country air ; but the stems of trees in the vicinity
of London are very retentive of carbon, and tell the tale quickly. Some rough
observations made in the neighbourhood of Bostal Heath and Wickham Cemetery,
below Woolwich, and, of course, south of the Thames, show that at those places
(quite twelve miles from London Bridge) the influence is very apparent; but it
dies out towards Belvidere, a few miles further away. Assuming thus a diameter
of twenty-four miles, we have, in round numbers, 450 square miles of vegetation
more or less affected by smoke. What inferences may be drawn from this I
cannot say; but possibly the radiation of heat may be checked by this canopy
and this may permanently raise the temperature somewhat. A note made of
the distance at which vegetation is affected would certainly be useful for future
comparison.—J. French, Felstead.