is"i 255 



tlipv liokl those butterflies (after capture) sidcTirays, their legs grasping firmly the 

 roots of the two wings on the side pointing downwards, they then strip off the two 

 wings ou the other side that point upwards, and then work with their mandibles from 

 tlie thorax to the apex of the abdomen squeezing out all the juices, and then when 

 completely sucked diy they drop the body with its two remaining wings and fly 

 away. I have watched V. cincta flying with " skipper " in this way, but they appear 

 to prefer to retire to some tree or bush for the better enjoyment of their feast. — 

 G-. A. James Eothnet, Barrackpore : January 2.^th, 1877. 



Note on Trioza Walkeri,Fdrst.,and Chermes rhamni, Schrank. — In this country, 

 Trioza WalJceri had been found only on blackthorn and spindle-tree, but on the 

 20th September last, between Dartford and Darenth, I beat four examples from a 

 bush of Rhamniis catharticus, and Mr. C. W. Dale writes to me that he finds it 

 abundant on the same plant in Dorsetshire ; thus, the statement of Flor, Ehyn. Livl., 

 ii, 496 (1861), that the insect lives on the buckthorn, is confirmed. Flor does not 

 describe the larva, but says that it is somewliat numerous on Hhamnus catharticus, 

 and up to the time of its final development, in July and August, rolls the margins of 

 leaves inwardly in the direction of tlieir length. I saw several such leaves when I 

 got my examples. 



Herr von Frauenfcld (Verh. k. k. zool.-botan. Ges. Wien, xi, tab. 2) figui-es the 

 wings of the imago, and the pupa of Tr. Walkeri, and a deformed leaf of likamnus 

 frangula. He (p. 169) gives some interesting details of the habits of Trioza Walkeri, 

 which he found on a bush of H.franyula,* of which nearly every leaf was disfigured by 

 being rolled up, and in each roll the Trioza larva lived. " The margin of a leaf was 

 rolled from beneath outwards in several places, the parenchyma was thickened and 

 hardened, there being sometimes on one leaf one, two, or three rolls, each at times 

 as much as 3 mm. diameter, by 15 mm. in length. The green larva grows very 

 slowly, and invariably perishes if it be not left on the tree vmtil near the time of its 

 full development, which occurs at the end of August. The proximity of maturity 

 is denoted by the progressive unclosing of the roll, and in the greater space thus 

 obtained, the pupa, I5 mm. long, throws off its last integument." The author then 

 goes on to say that " the pupa is exactly like (ganz so) tliat described by Schrank 

 in the ' Fauna Boica ' as P.iylla (Chermes) rhamni, but that the imago agrees with 

 FiJrster's description of Trioza Walkeri, and that the certainty that each author had 

 the same species before him is fairly questionable. Schrank says nothing about the 

 excrescence in which the larva lives, though he scrupulously notices such economy in 

 other species ; and Forster says nothing about the remarkable deviation in the form 

 of the wings of Tr. Walkeri from all other species of Psyllida. The perfect insect, 

 when first developed, is entirely green, the wings are transparent, and a long time is 

 requisite for the full coloration to be effected. If killed in the immature condition and 

 dried immediately, the insect is quite unlike the mature form, and can only be recog- 

 nised as the species by the shape of the wings. "f Nevertheless, Ilerr von Frauciifeld 

 concludes that Schrank's and Forster's insects are the same species, and he adopts 

 for it Schrank's specific name rhamni. 



* Dr. Low thinks this should be catharticux ; he finds TV. WalkeH on this species of Rhamnut 

 only [op. cit. xxvi, 209).— J. VV. D. 



t This is probably Mr. Scott's " var. albipennh," Trans. Ent Soc, p. 5j3 (1870).- J. W. 1). 



