2r?G [March, 



The pupa is nearly an inch in length, by five-sixteenths in diameter across the 

 thorax, which is rounded and sloping smoothly to the head in a convex curve> 

 behind on the back of the abdomen is a slight depression, the wing-covers smooth, 

 and from them the abdomen is full, but soon tapers rather sharply to the tip, which 

 is rough and furnished with several converging, curled-topped spines ; the colour of 

 the skin is purplish-brown, the abdominal divisions dingy red ; though this local 

 colouring can only be seen on parts that happen to be rubbed, as the surface gen- 

 erally is covered with a fine opaque powdery bluish bloom, a few short, fine, light 

 brown, bristly hairs, pointing behind, are sparingly distributed over the abdomen. — - 

 William Buckler, Emsworth : December 2nd, 1876. 



Description of the larva of Pterophorus lithodactylus. — The larva from which 

 I took down my notes was received, amongst some of those of Ebiilea erocealis, 

 feeding on Inula dysenterica, from Mr. W. H. Grrigg, of Bristol, June 15, 1875. It 

 was full-grown, five-eighths of an inch in length, and of average bulk in proportion. 

 Head globular and polished, smaller than the second segment, into wliich it can be 

 partially withdrawn. Body of nearly uniform width throughout, but tapering 

 slightly towards the postei'ior extremity ; it was clothed rather thickly with short 

 hairs. Grround colour bright yellowish-green ; head pale green, the mandibles brown ; 

 throughout the entire length of the dorsal area is a broad pink stripe, edged on each 

 side with a narrower purplish one, which is again edged with a fine whitish line. 

 Ventral surface uniformly pale green. The hairs on the dorsal area are dark brown, 

 those on the sides whitish. The pupa is so similar in appearance to the larva, that it 

 had actually been in that stage several days before I found out the fact. I noticed, 

 as I fancied, the larva on the upper side of a leaf, motionless, I supposed changing 

 its skin, and was not a little surprised, on examining it closely, to discover it had 

 become a pupa. The markings and almost the shape had assumed the same character 

 as the larva, but the brood purple dorsal stripe was gone, and replaced by a series of 

 pale green lozenge-shaped mai-ks, connected at the abdominal divisions ; the sub- 

 dorsal region dull purple ; wing-cases pale green, with several purplish streaks ; 

 under-side of abdomen pale green : like the larva also, thickly clothed on the dorsal 

 surface with short, whitish hairs. The imago appeared on the 12th of July. — 

 Geo. T. Poreitt, Highroyd House, Huddorsfield : February 3rd, 1877. 



The economy of Laccometopus clavicornis, Lin. — Upon tliis subject (giving the 

 name of the insect as Hiirycera clavicornis) M. Ed. Andre, of Beaune, writes as 

 follows in the " Feuille des jcunes Naturalistcs," for January last : — "This Hemip- 

 teron lives in the interior of the flower-buds of Teucrium chamcBdrys, which grow 

 and develop almost normally up to the time when they should open, but the final 

 evolution is prevented by the insect having soldered the anthers of the stamens 

 to the petals, by means of a black, glutinous matter, derived either from itself, or 

 from the pollen transformed by the agency of the insect. The petals being thus 

 unable to open, the corolla becomes a close chamber, the capacity of which, in con- 

 sequence of the presence of the foreign body, becomes of larger proportions than is 

 natural. The insect undergoes its clianges under this shelter, and, in August, when 

 it has assumed the perfect state, escapes by separating the margins of the petals, 

 which, at the sides, are only contiguous and do not adhere, to fulfil the functions 



