94 [September. 



DescrijHion of the pupa of Nola albulalis. — A note on Ihe pupa of Nola albii- 

 talis will perhaps not be out of place, as supplementary to Mr. J. P. Barrett's de- 

 scription of the larva in this month's (August) E. M. M. 



When full grown, the larva wanders from the food plant and crawls up a culm 

 of dry grass, or a withered twig, and spins a cocoon as described by Mr. Barrett. 

 The pupa is about half-an-inch in length, cylindrical, and of nearly uniform width 

 throughout, tapering a little towards the anal extremity. The head is bluntly 

 rounded, the eye- and antenna-cases prominent. Colour of the dorsal surface deep 

 reddish-brown, becoming gradually darker towards the head, which is nearly black ; 

 abdominal divisions rather paler than the ground colour. Ventral surface paler 

 brown, the eyc-cascs black, and the antenna-cases margined all round with black. — 

 Gr. T. POERITT, Huddersfield : August lOth, 1876. 



Early hihernation of butterflies. — In the " Petites Nouvelles Entomologiques,"* 

 some remarks have lately been made on the early period at which some of the 

 VanesscB commence their hibernation. There is at present in the house here 

 striking evidence of this. Some weeks ago, between two and three dozen indi- 

 viduals of Vanessa urticcB took up their abode in a moderately dark part of an 

 upstairs passage, where they remain packed together in little bundles of four or five 

 individuals quite motionless, and this, although during the past week we have ex- 

 perienced the hottest weather recollected iu this part of the country. These 

 individuals, unless turned out by the housemaid's broom (as I hope they will not be), 

 will remain in their positions till some warmer temperature than is usual at that 

 period, occiu-s in or about March, when they will commence to flit about and make 

 their way to the windows to seek an escape. This year I have noticed very many 

 more individuals than usual of this species in the house. — D. Shaep, Eccles, Thorn- 

 hill : Auc/tist lath, 1876. 



Eighth Annual Eeport on the Noxious, Beneficial, and other Insects 

 OF the State of Missouri : by Charles V. Riley, State Entomologist. Jefferson 

 City, 1876, pp. 1—185. 



It has long been to us an annual pleasiu'e to receive and notice Mr. Riley's 

 valuable Reports. That now before us, though probably not so diversified in its 

 contents as some of the others, fully supports liis reputation as a careful and con- 

 scientious observer, and as a capital artist on wood. The volume is principally 

 occupied by extended information on well-known insect pests, such as tlie Colorado 

 Potato Beetle, the Army Worm, the Rocky Mountain Locust, and the Phylloxera. 

 Among the "innoxious" insects is a detailed and illustrated account of the anomalous 

 " Yucca-borer " {Megathymus yuccee), vthich. Sir. Riley brings very powerful evidence 

 to prove is really a Butterfly, although he considers it may represent a remnant of a 

 more ancient synthetic type between the Castnidce and Hesperidce. On some points 

 our author does, we think, jump too hastily (or by prejudice) at conclusions, and we 

 utterly fail to see the force of his foot-note at p. 31, i-egarding the genital parts in 

 Lepidoptera — if he will carry his avowed " limited examinations " somewhat further 

 (say, for instance, among the PyralidcE), we feel sure he will change his opinion- 

 One thing we regret exceedingly, but the author has only developed, not initiated, a 

 vicious practice. We allude to the strained efforts to give " EngUsh " names to 



* Vide also Bnt. Mo. Mag., voLii, p. 190.— Eds. 



