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INSECTS scarce. The Buff Tip (Pbaleria bucephala) is found everywhere and often in superabundance. The Chocolate Tip (Pygcera curtula) occurs freely in the larva state on aspen, and the Small Chocolate Tip (P. pigra] abounds on aspen and sallow. The Buff Arches (Thyatira derasa) and the Peach Blossom (T. batis) occur generally among brambles, but are not usually found in large numbers. The Figure of Eighty (Cymatophora octogesima) is scarce but cannot be considered local, as nobody acquainted with its habits need despair of finding it in any part of the county where poplars abound. The Poplar Lutestring (C. or) is of general occurrence among aspens, especially in woods. The Lesser Satin Lutestring (C. duplaris) may be found flying among birches at dusk in June. The Lesser Lute- string (Asphalia diluta) comes freely to ' sugar ' in the autumn. The Yellow Horned (A. Jia-vicornis) is to be looked for on birch twigs and stems on mild days in March, but though very widely distributed, it seems to be less common in Essex than in some other counties. The Frosted Green (A. ridens), being attached to the oak, occurs in all the well wooded districts, but is not nearly so common in our county as in the New Forest. NOCTUM BRYOPHILID^ Bryophila perla is generally common on old walls. BOMBYCOID^: Moma orion is widely distributed in oak woods, especially near Colchester and in the Tendring Hundred. Demas coryll is fairly com- mon among birch and beech. Acronycta tridens and A. psi are generally distributed, the former being the scarcer, but both have been much less common since 1893 than they were previously. A. leporina is far from common. It was formerly found occasionally near Colchester, and has more recently occurred at Brentwood and Epping. A. aceris was a common Colchester insect some years ago, but gradually decreased in numbers and at last entirely disappeared. Larva? were always to be found on two old sycamores that formerly stood in the Abbey Field, and it was after their removal that the period of scarcity set in. It still occurs in several localities in south Essex. A. megacephala is generally common about poplars. A. alni is very rare, but has occurred at Colchester and Wormingford. A. ligustri is scarce at Alresford and Colchester, but doubtless has a wide distribution among ash and privet. A. rumicis and Diloba cceruleocephala abound everywhere. LEUCANIIDjE Leucania conigera during the recent period of extreme agricultural depression swarmed at thistle flowers, which then abounded in some of the forsaken fields, but since these have again come under the plough the insect has been much less numerous. L. vitellina is unique for the county, and has only recently obtained a place in our list, a single specimen having been taken by the Rev. W. Claxton at Navestock in 149