NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
79
Isle of Wight he was fortunate enough to see through binoculars a mass
migration of the Small White butterfly (Pieris rapae). Literally tens of
thousands flying at an estimated height of 800 feet made a pretty sight.
Lepidoptera in Essex. 1947 will rank as one of the great "edusa
years" on account of the widespread immigration of the Clouded Yellow
butterfly, now known as Colias croceus Fourcroy. As far as Essex is con-
cerned I have received the following reports: Males only were seen at
Southend in mid-July; in August the species was abundant in the Rochford
district and several single specimens were seen at Braintree. It was not
until September 10th that I heard of Clouded Yellows in the Epping Forest
district, when two were seen in Leyton and my wife took one in our garden
at Leytonstone. Others were reported during September from Loughton
(21st and 25th), Braintree (6th and 24th) and Frinton (4th). On October 4th
I saw three at Crabtree Hill near Hainault Forest and one at Chigwell Row;
two were captured, one a fresh female.
It was only from the south-eastern part of the county that this butterfly
was reported as really abundant; at Maldon, forty or fifty could be seen
on several days during September. Details of its occurrence in the Southend
area are included in Mr. Huggins's paper.
Several specimens of the Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale L.) were
seen in the Colchester district, and on September 27th twenty-five males
and three females were taken at Battlesbridge in a field of lucerne by
Mr. F. J. Hurrell. At Maldon, about twenty-four were flying over lucerne
during September.
A specimen of the immigrant Convolvulus Hawk moth (Herse convolvuli
L.) was found dead at Stratford on September 23rd and another, alive but
very much worn, at East Ham about the same date. Three specimens
were taken by Mr. Hurrell at a patch of Nicotiana at Great Waltham on
September 23rd, and at the same place a Vestal moth (Rhodometra sacraria
L.) was taken on September 28th.
The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta L.) was very common in the Leyton-
stone district (as everywhere) during September, and it was noticed that
these insects apparently retired to nearby elm trees for the night as they
were to be seen on the leaves and trunks basking in the early morning sun
before descending to feed at the michaelmas daisies. Several Painted Lady
butterflies (Vanessa cardui L.) accompanied the Red Admirals in the garden,
and the Humming Bird Hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum L.) was also
seen here and in several other parts of Essex, including a large number at
Maldon.
The Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas L.), which was scarce in the Epping
Forest district in 1946, again became common in 1947. The Red Admiral
was last seen at Leytonstone on October 4th, while a Humming Bird Hawk
moth was still on the wing on October 23rd.
The Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia L.) was abundant in
Hatfield Forest on July 20th, and I have had reports of specimens of this
fine butterfly in five different woods in the Epping area.
C. B. Pratt.
I took a Nut-tree Tussock moth (Colocasia coryli L.) and a Lunar Marbled
Brown moth (Drymonia ruficornis Hufn.) at Wintry Wood, Epping, on
May 10th. A Heart moth (Dicycla oo L.) was bred from a larva taken at
Epping during May. I saw a second brood White Admiral (Limenitis
camilla L.) in Ongar Park Wood on September 16th and took a specimen
of the immigrant Vestal moth (Rhodometra sacraria L.) at light in Leyton
on September 14th.
W. A. Sands.