4i •'"ly. 



1S29 at Blackhtfath, continues thus : — " In the followuag autumn we found a shell of 

 the same species with a small pupa-shapacl egg deposited on the lid. From this a 

 caterpillar vyas hatched which subsequently devoured the snail, spun a cocoon within 

 the shell, and was transformed into a small moth (of which we have not ascertained 

 the species) in the spring of 1830." It would be interesting to learn if this very 

 curious statement has ever been practically tested, and with what result. It would 

 seem that the caterpillar fed on the living snail, but, as far as I am aware, parasitism 

 on soft living animal structure is not known to pertain to any Lepidopterous larva. 

 Some phytophagous caterpillars have a propensity to attack other caterpillars 

 voraciously, but this is an abnormal appetite. The larva of tlie moth Epipyrops 

 anomala, Wcstw., which lives attached to the body of Fulgora caiidelaria, there is 

 good reason to believe feeds, not on the substance of the body of its fosterer, but on 

 the waxy secretion thereof. (Trans. Ent. Soc, 1876, p 521). The only approximate 

 instance of Lepidopterous larvae feeding on living animals that I can find recorded 



is reported in the Proceedings of the Dublin University Zoological Association, 

 21st December, 1856 (Nat. Hist. Review, iii, pi'oceed., p. 23), when there were 

 exhibited horns of the antelopes Oreas Carina and Kolus elUpsiprymmis which were 

 perforated, while on the living animal, by numerous larvae, which the evidence 

 adduced showed were of some species of Tineidce, but none had survived to the 

 perfect state. Mr. Haliday observed that the most remarkable point was that the 

 larvag fed in the horns while the antelopes were living. It was also reported to the 

 meeting that some horns of the Grayal, in the University Museum, were perforated 

 by similar larvae even more extensively than the others above mentioned. The 

 subject was alluded to at the Meeting of the Entomological Society, November 18th, 

 1867 (Trans. Ent. Soc, 3 Ser. v, proceed, cv). The moth was described by Zeller as 

 JSuplocainus vastellus, and by Stainton as Tinea giyanlella. — J. W. DoUGlAS, Lee : 

 Zrd May, 1877. 



Dimorphism and alternation of generations in Cynipidce. — Without furtlier 

 comment, wo call attention to what appears to be an extraordinary discovery, as 

 noticed in the " Petites Nouvellos Entomologiques " for June 15th. M. Lichleustein 

 has announced to the French Entomological Society, on the authority of Dr. Adlerof 

 Schleswig, that Spathegaster Jaccan»H which is produced from "currant galls "on the 

 oak, and of which both sexes are known, is only a condition (or vice versa) of 

 Neuroterus lenticularis, which latter (all females) is produced from eggs laid by the 

 females of the Spathegaster deposited in the young leaves. The Neuroterus, in its 

 turn, lays its eggs in the buds of the oak, which eggs produce the Spathegaster. 



P.S. — A fuller report of this communication is printed in the Bulletin of the 

 French Entomological Society, Meeting of May 23rd, 1877. In addition to the 

 above-mentioned, the following are declared to be connected in the same manner, 

 viz. : — Neuroterus fumipennis and Spathegaster albipes, N. numistnatis and aS. 

 vesicatrix, Dryophanta scutellaris and Trigonaspis cristalis, D. longiventris and 

 Spathegaster Taschenhergi, Aphilothrix radicis and Andricus noduli. — Eds. 



JSomoptera near Nonoich. — In March last I beat from spruce fir Qnathodus 

 punctatus, Typhlocyba 10-punctata, and several examples of T. tilice ; and, on the 

 28th May, I obtained at East Carlton near here, from mistletoe, three examples of a 

 Psylla, which agrees with the description of Fs. visci, Curt. — James Edwards, 

 Dracondale, Norwich : 'Jth June, 1877. 



