INSECTS Brit. Lep. ii. 41) that Mr. J. Cosmo Melville obtained two specimens from a working man, who stated that he bred them from larvae found at Eccles- bourne in 1 871 The Bedstraw Hawk (D. galii, Rott.) Not uncommon near Brighton and Lewes in some seasons. Mr. Goss states that he has frequently found the larvas feeding by night on Galium verum by the side of the roads between Brighton and Ditchling and between Brighton and the Dyke. Specimens have also been recorded from Eastbourne, where it has been taken at the electric lamps. It has also been recorded from Hassocks, Hastings, Lewes The Striped Hawk (D. lineata, Fb.) Rare, probably always an immigrant. Speci- mens have been taken singly from time to time at Brighton, Cuckfield (Merri- field), GuestUng (Bloomfield), Firle, Hastings, Horsham, Lewes,^ Ringnier, SHndon Choerocampa celerio, Linn. Brighton, often captured in gardens attracted by the flowers of petunia and verbena (Vine); also recorded from Ashling (Rev. J. C. Parson), Catsfield, Chichester (An- derson) ; Firle in 1885-6 (Edgell) ; Hastings, Hayiuard's Heath, Lewes seve- ral times. Larvas have been found in Sussex (Barrett, Brit. Lep. ii. 54) The Small Elephant (C. porcellus, Linn.) is not uncommon, occurring chiefly on the downs and coast ; Arundel Park, Brigh- ton, Eastbourne, near Emsworth, Glynde, GuestUng, Horsham, Lewes, Portslade, Shoreham ^ The Large Elephant (C. elpenor, Linn.) Not uncommon. The moth is often seen at ' sugar ' (Vine) and the larvas may sometimes be found in some numbers in wet places on Epilobium,^ and occa- sonally in gardens on fuchsia. Has occurred at Brighton, Bognor, Chichester, near Emsiuorth, Eastbourne, Glynde, Lewes, Hastings, Horsham, Henfield, Hayward's Heath, Shoreham — nerii, Linn. A rare immigrant, stated by Mr. Barrett {Brit. Lep. ii. 65) to be ^ I possess a specimen taken at Brighton some thirty years ago. — H.G. ^ It used to be abundant at dusk on the shore at Copperas Gap between Brighton and Shoreham flying over the flowers of Echiiim vulgare. — H. G. ^ The larva of this species are very abundant near Byfleet and Weybridge in Surrey, feeding on wild balsam {Imfaliens fuiva), an American plant 'quite the most rare of our hawk- moths.' A very large proportion of the recorded British specimens seems to have been taken in Sussex. Mr. Bar- rett records (loc. cit.) the following : One at Brighton in each of the years 1852, 1857 and 1886 (the last was taken by Mr. T. Langley on 7 Septem- ber; it is a male in good condition and passed into Mr. Fletcher's collec- tion); two larvae in 1859 and a moth in 1 884 at Eastbourne; a moth at Lewes on 3 September, 1874, seen alive by Mr. Jenner ; one at St. Leonards in 1862 and another in 1868. A further specimen, a male, was taken on one of the lamps on the Marine Parade, Brigh- ton, on 12 September, 1901 ; it was brought while still alive to Messrs. Pratt & Sons, the well known natu- ralists, and is now in Mr. Fletcher's collection The Eyed Hawk (Smermthus^ o n -' „ T ■ beem generally ocellatus, Lmn.) I ° . ' „, T-, , ri I /c if common m The Poplar Hawk (b. populi, . T . > >. r r ) jj^g county. Lmn.) -' ' The Lime Hawk (S. tiliae, Linn.) Rare in East Sussex ; Brighton, Hayward's Heath, Horsham (Jenner) ; seems fairly common in JVest Sussex )Fletcher) The Humming Bird Hawk (Macroglossa* stel- latarum, Linn.) Occasionally common, but uncertain in appearance, sometimes on the wing during the greater part of the year, hibernated specimens appear- ing on the first warm days of March and April and belated ones in October and November. Recorded from all parts of the county. — fuciformis, Linn. Woods, local, but widely distributed, and common in places ; Abbots IFood, Battle, Charlton Forest, Hayivard's Heath, Hastings, Horsham, Holm Bush, Laughton, Lewes, Midhurst, Poynings, SHndon, Tailgate Forest — scabioss, Z. Rare ; Abbots Wood, Battle, Charlton Forest, Horsham, Laughton, Lewes, Midhurst Trochilium apiformis, Clerck. Uncommon ; Hailsham, Lewes, Ringmer, Tilgate Forest which has been naturalized on the Weybridge canal and on the Thames. The larvae having been accustomed to balsam will not eat Epilo- bium. — H. G.
- The larvas are in some years abundant, on
Galium verum, near Brighton, Eastbourne and elsewhere on the Chalk. — H.G. 171
