PRACTICAL HINTS. 79 



18. — Roots of Stachi/a sijlmtica, collected in March, give imagines 

 of P^p/iip})ip/t()ra nifjricostana, in June and July. 



19. — The larva of Itetinia lmi)Uana feeds on the young buds and 

 shoots of firs, in the early spring, eating out the entire centre of 

 the shoot. 



20. — The larva of Jlctinia si/lrc!<trana feeds in the shoots of stone- 

 pine {Piiuis pici'd) and other pines, in March and April. It may be 

 detected by the pellet of frass which is ejected from the tunnel by the 

 larva, and which remains attached outside. 



21. — In April, the shoots of Scotch fir should be collected for 

 the pupa3 of I'wtinia turiouana. A shoot containing a pupa does not 

 commence to grow in the spring, and can thus be readily distinguished. 



22. — The larvte of liraplinlitlia (joninana, Peronca calcdoniana and 

 I'cnthina muciana feed in spring in the tops of bilberry {Vaccinium 

 mijrtillus), the tops being sometimes quite blighted by the larvre. 



23. — The seedheads of teasel should be gathered in March and 

 April, and put into bandboxes. The imagines of I'cnthina fjentianana 

 will emerge without further trouble. 



24. — In March and April, collect sallow catkins for larvjc of 

 Graplwlitha nisella. 



25. — The larva of Tortri.v foraterana is common in gardens in 

 March and April, between ivy leaves fastened one upon the other. 



26. — Larva) of CEcophora Knitella {fmcoanrcUa) have been found in 

 April, under the decaying bark of elm. 



N.B. — For series of similar hints for the same time of the year 

 refer to vol. ix., pp. 67-G8, vol. iv., pp. 78-79, and vol. ii., pp. 44-45. 



:®^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Winter emergence of Abraxas grossulariata. — Last October, 

 I procured many young larvfe of Ahraxaa (jrossidariata, from a currant 

 bush, from which most of the leaves had fallen. The larva) were 

 placed in a breeding-cage, and all hybernated with the exception of 

 one solitary example, which ate greedily, pupated in November, and 

 emerged on December 20th. The only difiterenco I can find, on com- 

 parison with the ordinary specimens, is an almost complete absence of 

 yellow scales on the fore-wings. — Hubert C. Phillips, M.R.C.S., 

 F.E.S., 85, Shirland Gardens, Paddington, W. 



Early emergences. — So mild has been the present winter until 

 now, that we are not surprised at many moths emerging from the 

 chrysalis before their usual date. But some have put in an appearance 

 with me extraordinarily out of time. In the middle of January, 

 Cabira e.vanthcinaria, whoso usual assumption of the winged state is 

 seldom earlier than ]\Iay, began to emerge from pupiD kept in a living 

 room, without any attempt at forcing; and before the end of the month, 

 five or six had appeared in perfect condition, as well as Snierint/ius 

 iilioc, I'liiijalia pcdaria, and J'^riDi/astcr lanrstrix. The two latter are, 

 of course, expected with the advent of February ; but S. tiliac and 

 C. c.vanthemaria seem to have broken the record. — J. Merrin, Gloster. 

 lu-hmarij 1st, 1898. 



Notes of 1897 (Contd. from p. 53). — O.rton. — Some few things, 

 <■■//., ('(dliiiKirpIia licra and Zcplninis ijucniis, were unusually abundant. 

 Sugaring in this neighbourhood one evening in August, with Mr. Bower, 

 produced Cantdrina ainbinua freely, with Aijrutia rcstii/ialis and A. 



