Journal of Proceedings.
xxvii
was a paradise for martins, but the absence of sparrows was to be
accounted for by the absence of their food, as Thorndon was not used,
the gardens were not kept up, and there were no cornfields there.
A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Col. Russell for his paper.
The Secretary then read a paper entitled " The Lepidoptera of the
District around Maldon, Essex ; a contribution to the insect fauna of the
county." By Gilbert H. Raynor, M.A., Vice-President of the Cambridge
Entomological Society. [See 'Transactions.']
In connection with Mr. Raynor's essay, the Secretary read the following
interesting letter from our member, Mr. W. H. Harwood, of Colchester,
the well-known collector. Mr. Harwood wrote : —
" I have never been to Maldon, and, beyond spending a day at Danbury,
have done no collecting in what I call the Maldon district. Tiptree
Heath is, I think, a little nearer Maldon than Colchester, but the few
excursions I have made there have been very profitless. I have collected
a good deal in the woods at Messing and Layer Marney, about midway
between Colchester and Maldon, but they are probably beyond Mr.
Raynor's limits. I find them very productive as regards certain species,
but the number of species that occur in them is very small as compared
with the woods between Colchester and Ipswich and those in the Tendring
Hundred. I have never seen Argynnis adippe at Messing, or Limenitis
sibylla; A. paphia is vary rare indeed, and I do not remember to have
seen either A. euphrosyne, A. selene, or Melitaea athalia.
" The food plants of L. sibylla and M. athalia are in abundance, but
though the woods are full of flowers I have not noticed the dog-violet,
but it must surely be present.
" Probably L. sibylla has occurred, and has been exterminated by
birds. I have bred very many specimens, and never found the lame
'ichneumoned,' nor do I think birds meddle with them in the larval
state ; but they probably destroy a large proportion of the pupa; in
some localities. In some of my best hunting-grounds there is fortu-
nately no game-preserving, and consequently the small birds are
fewer in number than when the predatory species are more systemati-
cally killed off.
"Limenitis sibylla is only found when the 'slop' or underwood is
high, and a considerable clearance in a small wood means sometimes
the all but total extermination of the species in that particular wood,
but colonists from neighbouring woods soon restore the balance, so
soon as the favourable conditions again obtain, but when there is no
neighbouring wood the balance may never be restored.
" In very hot seasons local butterflies become to some extent migratory;
such was the case with L. sibylla last July, and I should not be sur-
prised if this year specimens are met with in woods where none have
been previously seen. Mr. Laver saw a specimen in the town here last
year two miles from any known locality."
After a few remarks by the President and Mr. Cansdale as to the value
of Mr. Raynor's paper and Mr. Harwood's notes, inasmuch as they
recorded the results of personal observation in our own county, a cordial
vote of thanks was returned to the authors.
The accustomed conversazione concluded the meeting.