264 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
July. 1st. Burnished Brass moth in large numbers at Valerian. 4th.
White-Letter Hairstreaks appear on the brambles where they are seen
each year. On the same day I visited the local woods, but saw not a
single Fritillary or White Admiral. 8th. A Privet Hawkmoth at Honey-
suckle bloom at night. I have only once before seen this moth at flowers.
11th. In our best wood I saw one White Admiral and seven White-Letter
Hairstreaks on one bramble bush. 12th. Two Humming Bird Hawkmoths
at Valerian. 13th. At least 20 White-Letter Hairstreaks on their usual
bramble bush. 21st. Two White Admirals and two or three Commas in
a local wood. 31st. One Silver-washed Fritillary in a wood where there
are usually scores at this time. This was the only specimen of this species
seen during this season.
August. 27th. Peacocks and Bed Admirals abundant, but little else
to report.
September. 1st. I have released well over 200 Elephant Hawkmoth
larvae on local Willow Herb patches. The London bomb-sites are swarm-
ing with these larvae. 19th. A few Vanessids at flowers.
October. 20th. One or two Commas about the farm. 30th. A Red
Underwing moth came to light. Very late for this species.
November. 4th, Large numbers of Thorns coming to light each night.
This has been one of the most cheerless, cold and wet summers imaginable
and the worst year for butterflies that I can remember.
The Water Ermine Moth in Essex.—The Water Ermine moth (Spilosma
urticae Esper.) on the Lea marshes. According to Richard South (1906)
and other later authorities, this species is only found in closely-restricted
areas of marshland, mainly in the Fens. By these it is considered a some-
what rare insect in the British Isles and is being rapidly exterminated as a
result of land drainage. Because of this, and since I know of no previous
records for Essex, I append the following notes: On the 6th August, 1952
—a fine, warm day—I was on the Lea marshes near Edmonton in the hopes
of some early Colias croceus (I caught one), when I found clinging to a
gate-post a fine female S. urticae. I kept this for some time and she laid
200 pale-green spherical eggs, which proved, however, to be infertile.
Unfortunately, I was unable to follow up my discovery in 1952, but in
mid-August, 1953, I found a fully fed larva on a plant of Rumex
obtusifolius in the same locality.
I would be grateful for any information of this species being found on
the marshes or elsewhere in Essex.
Paul Smart.
Mr. H. C. Huggins comments as follows: The above is worth recording
as the locality is so near London. The following sums up what I know
of Spilosoma urticae today : —
It does not appear to be a common insect in Essex and there are few
recent records, but it is probably much overlooked. As it does not come