light-trap regularly and records the microlepidoptera which visit it.
A special form of light-trap is the Rothamsted Trap which uses a
low-powered bulb to sample the insect population within a restricted area for
scientific study. During 1977 and 1978 Writtle Agricultural College sent me all
the microlepidoptera from their trap and Mr Ian Sims of Chigwell Row did
likewise for 1977-1979. I also received direct from Rothamsted Research
Station the catch made from July to September, 1977, and again in 1979, by a
trap operated by Mr P. Hilliard; and those taken in 1977 by a trap operated at
Ilford by Mr P. Verdon. Mr G.C. Davidson kept the microlepidoptera for me
in 1980 from his trap at Wickham Bishops. The value of their records shows
how useful a wider trapping programme would be as a supplement to field-
work in the study of microlepidoptera of Essex.
The principal recorders
On pp. 19-21 there appear the names of the past and present entomologists
who have their records included in this list, together with a brief statement of
their sphere of operations. 1 now wish to say rather more about some of the
more important personalities.
Henry Doubleday (see Firmin et al., 1975:10-11) was the most famous
entomologist the county has produced but his concern was the Lepidoptera of
Britain rather than of Essex. Although his collection is extant in the British
Museum (Natural History), it was made before the days of data labels and is
therefore useless as a source of records: however, he contributed some useful
notes to early numbers of the Zoologist and Entomologist. Nineteenth century
writers often give "Epping" as a locality; in some cases this may be a careless
abbreviation for Epping Forest, but in most instances it is a reference to a
record made near his home by Doubleday himself. It is a pity that Edward, his
more enterprising, romantic and literally endowed younger brother, died so
prematurely, for he might have given permanence to a store of knowledge of
the Lepidoptera of south-west Essex that has never been surpassed. His list
(Doubleday, E., 1836) deals almost exclusively with the macrolepidoptera.
Charles Healy was a London naturalist who made Epping Forest one of his
main spheres of activity. He was a hymenopterist as well as a microlepid-
opterist, and his reputation rests on his meticulously detailed descriptions of
life histories. He kept a diary for the years 1860-1866 in which he includes
transcriptions of the letters he wrote to fellow entomologists such as Stainton
and the replies he received in return. He names the species he met with on his
expeditions into Essex and sometimes mentions the localities for the rarities
which were communicated to him by his friends. I am indebted Mr J.M.
Chalmers-Hunt for the loan of his diary.
William Machin and George Elisha were also microlepidopterists who lived
in London and operated regularly in south-west Essex; Machin affectionately
calls Epping Forest "our forest". Both these collectors added new species to
the British list on the evidence of their Essex captures; Machin has a species,
taken in Essex, named in his honour. Neither compiled a comprehensive list of
15