NOTES ON LIFE- HISTORIES, hARVJE, ETC. 17 



racters in the nowly-hatchccl larv.io point to the possibility of tliore 

 being two distinct groups of Geouictrid moths included in the before- 

 mentioned families, any one of which families contains larvic of both 

 forms. Unfortunately, I am not acquainted with all the larvie of the 

 moths comprised in these three families ; but with regard to the 

 species I have knowledge of, they can be placed in the two groups as 

 follows : — Group I. : ISdenia hilunaria, lunaria, and tetralunaria, 

 Phil/alia pedaria, Nyssia zonaria and hispidaria, Biston hirtaria, Te- 

 phrosia bistortata a,nd T. crepuacularia. Group II. : Aivjcrona prunaria, 

 I'Airymcnc dolohrarla, Ennomos alniaria and qucrcinaria, Amphidasys 

 strataria and hetularia, Hemerophila abruptaria, Boarmia roboraria 

 and probably B. consortaria. — A. Bacot, Bow House, Clapton, N.E. 



J^RACTICAL HINTS. 



Field Work for January and February. 



1. —During the winter, gather the seedheads of cotton-grass. 

 Glyphiptiry.v haivorthana may be bred from them in June. 



2.— In winter and early spring collect the stems of wild parsnip 

 {Pastinaca satira) for the larvje of Cochylis dilucidana. 



3. — In January, collect a bundle of the flower-stems of Alisnin 

 plantayo, stand them out of doors till May, then put into a cage, and 

 Eupoecilia udana should emerge from June to August. 



4. — Collect the seedheads of teasel [Dipsaceus sylrestris) and keep in 

 a bandbox ; you will breed plenty of Pcnthina ycntiana. 



5. — The larvae of Tcichobia rcrhnellclla feed on Asplenium ruta- 

 mwaria from January to April. 



6. — During January and February, collect oak (and other) leaves 

 for the pupee of Lithncollctis, Nepticida, Incurvaria, etc. 



7. — January and February (if the weather be mild and damp) is 

 the season to take the larva of Tryphaena mbseqiia (orhona). I took it 

 first, early in January, 1874, by sweeping tufts of Bactylu ylomcraia, 

 and afterwards at night, feeding on the common Triticum repens, and 

 it was seen still feeding on grass as late as April. It is nearly half- 

 grown when T. orbcyna {comoa) is very small (Williams). 



8. — Small holes in the stems of Daucwscarota indicate the presence 

 of larvae of Cochylis francillana. Collect in January. 



9. — In January, collect roots of Daucus caruta for larva) of A/yyio- 

 lepia zephyr ana. 



10. — Old stems of viper's bugloss (Echiwii ndyaif) should be 

 collected in the winter, Douylasia oaicrostowcUa will often emerge 

 from these in abundance in June. 



11. — The stems of sea lavender should be collected in January for 

 Gnniodoma limoniella {atn'pliciri»rlla). The larva feeds on the flowers, 

 eating out one of the petals, and using it as a case, in which it moves 

 about till full-fed, in December. Then it crawls down the stem, eats 

 its way inside, covers up the small holes with a slight web, soon after 

 which the cases drop oil". 



12. — The larva) of (inophos ubscurata are to be found in January on 

 Geranium hiridion, by searching at night with a lantern, and may 

 be so found until the beginning of April, when they are nearly 

 full-fed. They then prefer flowers to leaves. 



13. — In January, pull gently the last year's flower-stalks of the 

 ragwort. If the stem breaks ofi" readily, leaving a portion standing 



