A HISTORY OF SUSSEX Heterogenea asella, Schiff. Very rare ; once at Abbots IFood, Rewel IVood near Siin- don, JVakehurst Porthesia chrysorrhoea, Linn. Not uncommon and generally distributed. Mr. Ander- son writes of this species : ' Larvae very abundant on whitethorn hedges by canal, Chichester, 1877. After that date completely disappeared until 1900, when a single specimen ( S ) was taken on a gas lamp.' This quite tallies with Mr. fletcher's experience. The species seems to have been abundant at Arling- ton in 1 90 1 — similis, Fues. Very common Leucoma salicis, Linn. Common and gener- ally distributed, especially where poplars are extensively planted in streets and gardens Psilura monacha, Linn. Woods ; Abbots Wood (common). Battle, Brighton, near Emsworth, Fletching, Hastings, Hayward's Heath, Horsham, Henley Hill (Barrett), Lewes, Tilgate Forest, West Itchenor Dasychira fascelina, Linn. Occurred in the White Field, Abbots Wood, in 1882 (Jenner) — pudibunda, Linn. Generally common Orgyia antiqua, Linn. Common every- where Trichiura cratsegi, Linn. Somewhat un- common ; Abbots Wood, Chichester, Horsham, Lewes, Ringmer, Stought'jn, Tilgate Forest, JVest Itchenor Pcecilocampa populi, Linn. Generally dis- tributed and not uncommon Eriogaster lanestris, Linn. Generally dis- tributed Bombyx neustria, Linn. Usually extremely abundant — rubi, Linn. Generally common, espe- cially on downs, heaths and commons — quercus, Linn. Generally common — trifolii, Esp. Rare and local ; Crowhurst, Eastbourne Odonestis potatoria, Linn. Generally com- mon. Mr. Goss has obtained from Brighton the form in which the male is wholly of the pale yellowish bufF colour usually distinctive of the female. On the other hand Mr. Fletcher has bred from larvae hom Arlington males entirely, or nearly so, of a rich purplish chocolate colour, some of the females even from this locality being similarly though less richly coloured Lasiocampa quercifolia, Linn. Seems gener- ally distributed over the county but nowhere abundant Endromis versicolor, Linn. Probably now extinct ; formerly common in St. Leonards and Tilgate Forests. Once seen flying in Fernhurst parish (Barrett). Mr. Goss writes : ' Mr. W. Borrer of Hurstpierpoint told me that his cousin in one day assembled with the aid of two bred females one hundred and twenty- five males in Tilgate Forest. I possess a fine series taken in Tilgate Forest about 1857 or 1858 by a Brighton florist ; but the species had become extinct or very rare before I was old enough to collect ' Saturnia pavonia,' Linn, (carpini) Generally distributed and not uncommon in heathy places Drepana lacertinaria, Linn. Common and generally distributed among birch — falcataria, Linn. Not uncommon among alder and birch — binaria, Hufn. Widely distributed in oak woods ; Abbots Wood, Blackdown, Brigh- ton, Gucstling, Ha^ward's Heath, Lewes, St. Leonards and Tilgate Forests — cultraria, Fb. Sometimes abundant in beech woods but does not seem gener- ally common ; Eastbourne, Falmer, near Harting and Hastings, Lewes, St. Leonards Forest Cilix glaucata. Scop. Common everywhere Dicranura bicuspis, Bork. Very rare ; Ash- down (Vine), St. Leonards and Tilgate Forests. The larva has been found on alder to the north of Three Bridges (Fletcher). The old cocoons which endure for some years are not uncom- mon on old birch trunks in St. Leonards Forest — furcula, Linn. Not common ; Abbots Wood, Ashdown Forest, Brighton, Hay- ward's Heath, Laughton, Lewes, Pctt, Tilgate Forest — bifida, Hb. Not uncommon among pop- lars ; Bognor, Brighton, Cuckfield, Guest- ling, Horsham, Lewes, Tilgate, Worthing — vinula, Linn. Common among poplars Stauropus fagi, Linn. Rare; Abbots Wood (Vine) ; Battle, Brighton, near Emsworth (Christy) ; Hastings, Lewes, Rye (Bloom- field) ; Slindon (Edgell) ; St. Leonards Forest Ptilophora plumigera, Esp. Watergate, Ems- worth. Mr. Christy writes to the effect that he has taken several in his moth- trap and that it is probably not un- common in the neighbourhood ' I have assemHed many dozens of males in Tilgate Forest by the aid of bred virgin females. — H.G. 174
