The Ea rth worms of Ire I a nd. 43 



setole presso alle linea mediana dorsalc." ' The species afTcct rich 

 decaying manure and vegetable matter, and even haunt decaying trees 

 like the true Dcndrohoincc. 



It is but right to state that each of these groups more or 

 less overlaps the other, so that no hard and fast line can be 

 drawn between them ; but the characters given are such as to 

 make their identification very simple and easy. Every system 

 breaks down if pressed too closely, and even among earth- 

 worms we find that Nature takes no freaksome leaps, but 

 progresses on regular and well-marked lines. 



I purpose in my next paper taking the four groups of worms 

 here specified in the order in which they stand, beginning 

 with that which has the nearest affinities to the old mother- 

 genus. This is the more desirable as up till the present time 

 the lumbricoid species of Allolobophora have been persistently 

 confused with the true earthworm {Lttmbricus), resulting in 

 the greatest possible chaos in the nomenclature and diagnoses 

 of our terrestrial annelids. 



(TO BE CONTINUED.) 



THE 



MACRO-IvKPIDOPTERA OF THE I.ONDONDERRY 



DISTRICT. 



BY D. C. CAMPBKI.I.. 



{Continued from page 22). 



NOCTU^. 

 Demas coryli, Linn. — Common in the woods on the shores of Lough 



Swilly. 

 Acronycta psi, Linn. — Common. 



A. rumicis, Linn. — Common. We reared many of the beautiful 

 larvae of this moth. We noticed a strange habit of the larva. 

 Having partially formed its cocoon on the side or in the corner of a 

 box, it descended to the mould below and attached its threads to 

 many small particles of earth, it then ascended again, and, ensconsing 

 itself in the cocoon, drew up the little particles around it by means 

 of the threads. I have watched the process from beginning to end. 



Diloba caeruleoccphala, Linn.— Larvae very abundant on the 

 stunted blackthorn on Magilligan sandhills. We never found it m 

 any other locality. 



Leucania littoralis, Curt— Not uncommon at Magilligan; a few 

 specimens inland. 



L. itnpura, Hiib. ) ^ 



[ Common. 

 L. pallens* Linn. ; 



' " The spermathec^ open near the setae in the region of the median 

 dorsal line" (almost on the centre of the back). 



