78
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Notes from Great Parndon.—Mr. Geoffrey Dent writes that the grey
squirrel is unfortunately rapidly increasing and the red vanishing. He had
a family of reds in his garden last summer (1947) but found two half-grown
young abandoned in July and next day saw a grey nearby. Badgers still
occur in the district and five Epping Forest fallow deer spent the summer
in small coverts near Netteswell.
Birds were terribly reduced by the hard winter. Mr. Dent has not seen
a kingfisher since the frost. All three species of woodpecker are down in
numbers as also are the little owl and the long-tailed tit. Goldcrests seem
to have disappeared, while lapwing have ceased to breed in the vicinity
though, before the war, twelve to fifteen pairs did so. Nightjars and snipe
bred nearby.
Butterflies collected in the parish of Woodham Mortimer during the summer
of 1946.
Large White. Pieris brassicae L.
Small White. Pieris rapae L.
Green-veined White. Pieris napi L.
Orange Tip. Euchloe cardamines L. First seen May 1st.
Brimstone. Gonepteryx rhamni L.
Clouded Yellow. Colias croceus Fourcroy. One worn specimen in
July.
Silver-washed Fritillary. Argynnis paphia L. Several during July.
Pearl-bordered Fritillary. Argynnis euphrosyne L.
Comma. Polygonia c-album L.
Small Tortoiseshell. Aglais urticae L.
Large Tortoiseshell. Nymphalis polychloros L. One very worn female
July 18th.
Peacock. Nymphalis io L.
Painted Lady. Vanessa cardui L.
Red Admiral. Vanessa atalanta L.
White Admiral. Limenitis camilla L. Locally abundant from July 1st.
Wall. Pararge megera L.
Gatekeeper. Maniola tithonus L.
Meadow Brown. Maniola jurtina L.
Ringlet. Aphantopus hyperantus L. Rather scarce, first half of July.
Silver-studded Blue. Plebejus argus L. Local.
Common Blue. Polyommatus icarus Rott.
Holly Blue. Celastrina argiolus L. First seen April 25th, not so
abundant as in 1945.
Small Copper. Lycaena phlaeas L.
Green Hairstreak. Callophrys rubi L.
Purple Hairstreak. Thecla quercus L.
White-letter Hairstreak. Strymon w-album Knoch. Locally plentiful
from July 1st to 25th.
Dingy Skipper. Erynnis tages L.
Grizzled Skipper. Pyrgus malvae L.
Small Skipper. Thymelicus sylvestris Poda.
Essex Skipper. Thymelicus lineola Ochs.
Large Skipper. Ochlodes venata Bremer & Grey.
F. F. Laidlaw.
Mr. Laidlaw writes that he has not had the same opportunity for
observing butterflies in Woodham Mortimer during 1947. The White
Admiral (Limenitis camilla) was, however, seen in abundance, the White-
Letter Hairstreak (Strymon w-album) was normal, but the Holly Blue
(Celastrina argiolus) was much less abundant than in 1946. While in the