32
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
pp. 179-80) says that the "moth hides in the daytime in the
masses of tangled fern and bramble, or amongst heather, and in
warm and very favourable weather it may occasionally be dis-
turbed and induced to fly a short distance, but quickly darts
down and hides close to the earth. It flies normally for a short
time at early dusk, or even at sunset, on very calm evenings,
but is hardly to be seen at any time on the wing if the weather
is the least wet or chilly. Its flight is only for a short distance
over the heather, or along glades or paths in woods, and it
quickly settles, to fly again a short distance. It does not seem to
be attracted to flowers" or the usual artificial baits provided by
collectors for Noctuae. To these remarks may be added the
following notes. The flight in this species is low and jerky,
resembling that of some "Tortrices" and lasting from about a
quarter to half an hour, between 8.15 and 8.45, or thereabouts,
when the common Pyrale, Scoparia ambigualis, is also flying.
Emergence from the pupa takes place during the last week in
May and first week in June in an average season, but the insect
may be found as late as the first week in July (probably in back-
ward seasons) as may be seen in the Table.
Mr. A. W. Mera tells me that he used to take it flying before
sunset at Brentwood during the later years of last century, i.e.,
from 1888 onwards, but in more recent years to 1913 the insect
was greatly reduced in numbers, and he had not seen that early
flight, the moth not commencing to show itself until nearly 9 p.m.
This seems to suggest a change of habit not common amongst
lepidoptera.
I append a table giving all the records met with in some
200 volumes of entomological and other magazines and syste-
matic works, from which it will be seen that the only places in
Epping Forest specified as localities are "Loughton" and
"Epping." I am inclined to think, however, that the latter
is only a vague reference designed to mask the exact station for
the moth. It must be admitted that "Loughton" itself
is also somewhat vague and the entry in the Table giving the
station as "half-way between Loughton and Epping" is little
better. This reticence, in the case of such a local species, as our
little moth undoubtedly is, is, of course, eminently praise-
worthy, but one cannot help wondering whether, in spite of the
reticence, the insect was exterminated from our Forest by too