A HISTORY OF SUSSEX were taken at 'sugar' by the late Mr. Thorncroft of Brighton some years ago, Horsham, Petivorth, Plashet Wood, Til- gate Forest, JVestfield AcTonyctaligustri, Fb. Generally distributed in East Sussex ; in West Sussex has occurred near Emsiuorth and in the SHndon Woods — rumicis, Linn. Widely distributed but apparently not so abundant as in some other counties — auricoma, Fb. Very local, perhaps now extinct. Mr. Goss says it ' used to be common at " sugar " in Abbots JVood and adjoining woods,' and Mr. Vine states, ' Used to be taken very freely but now rare ; my last capture was made April 17th, 1880.' Mr. Fletcher took a larva off bramble in Abbots JVood in June, 1884. The species has also occurred at Battle and Gucstling where several came to light Diloba caeruleocephala, Linn. Everywhere common. Synia musculosa, Hb. Very rare and perhaps only an occasional immigrant. Brigh- ton : ' Several specimens were taken at Brighton about the years 1856-60' (Jenner's East Sussex List). Mr. Vine writes : ' The late Messrs. Flowse, M'Arthur, Thorncroft and Tidy took about twenty specimens between them.' Mr. Henry Cooke was also among the fortunate captors in August, 1856 {Sub- stitute, p. 28). 'Some specimens re- cently sold at Stevens' Rooms were labelled Bexhitl' (Jenner's East Sussex List). More information about these would be interesting Leucania conigera, Fb. Generally common. — vitellina, Hb. Several specimens of this rare species, which was added to the British list by Mr. Henry Cooke [Sub- stitute, p. 28), have been taken near Brighton, Lewes and Shoreham from time to time. Mr. Vine took three at Shoreham in September, 1875, and two at ' sugar ' on the Brighton Doiuns in September, 1 900, in which month also Professor Meldola captured two at ' sugar ' at Bogmr — - turca, Linn. Very local and perhaps ex- tinct in some localities ; Chesivorth, one near Etnsivorth (W. M. Christy), wood near Leives, St. Leonards Forest — lithargyria, Esp. Common in the county — albipuncta, Fb. Rare ; one specimen at Chichester (J. Anderson) ; near Rye in 1900, 1 90 1 (Rev. E. N. Bloomfield) ; several at Shoreham (A. C. Vine) ; also has occurred at Lewes and St. Leonards (J. H. A. Jenner) Leucania unipuncta, Hw. A very rare immi- grant. A specimen taken by Dr. Allchin near Lewes on 9 September, 1859, was exhibited by him at the meeting of the Entomological Society on 3 October, 1859 [Trans. Ent. Soc. new. ser. v. 79) — impudens, Hb. Very local. Brighton (Stainton, Manual, i. 189) ; Camber Sandhills, Rye (Rev. E. N. Bloomfield) ; Holmbush (A. C. Vine), Tilgate Forest (M. S. Blaker) and St. Leonards Forest — loreyi, Dup. ' One of the most rare of British insects ' (Barrett, Brit. Lep. v. 163). Mr. Doubleday [Zoologist, 1863, p. 8407) records the capture of two specimens, females, by Mr. Thorncroft near Brighton on 14 October, 1862. Mr. Barrett (loc. cit.) brings the history of these specimens up to date — comma, Linn. Generally common — straminea, Tr. Not common ; singly at Eastbourne, Lewes and Pett ; has occurred also near Brighton, Eastbourne, Horsham near Rye (Rev. E. N. Bloomfield). Mr. Vine states that it comes freely to flowers of rushes near Shoreham ' 1 1 ' r • ' Both very common — pallens. Lain. ) ' Coenobia rufa, Hw. Very local ; has occurred near Hastings, and is very abundant on Henfield Common among Juncus articu- latus, Linn. Tapinostola fulva, Hb. Not common, but seems widely distributed. Abbots IVood, Brighton, Fernhurst, Fairlight, Hay- warcTs Heath, Horsham, Lewes, Shore- ham (where Mr. Vine writes it may be found freely by searching grass by ditches) and Tilgate Nonagria canns, O. Of this species Mr. Barrett says [Brit. Lep. v. 80) : ' Its principle haunts are now the fens of Norfolk and Suffolk, whence all the more recent specimens have been ob- tained ; but a few are occasionally found about ponds in the middle of Sussex.' Its name does not occur in any of the local lists sent to me (W.H.B.F.) — typhas, Thnbg. Larvse and pupae ma)' be found commonly in Typha angusti- folia and latifolia near Shoreham, but the species does not seem to be generally abundant in the county. It has been taken at Brighton, Lnves,Hastings,Tilgate — geminipuncta, Hatchett. Marshes near Bognor, Brighton, Lewes and Shoreham. The larva; and pupa: are not uncom- mon in ' stems ' of reeds 176
