1S7S.] 257 



hour on the sallow, apparently engaged in the business of oviposition, she flew up 

 into the oak, soared round it five or six times, and then again descended to the 

 sallow, and this time most obligingly placed herself within easy reach of ray net, and 

 was captured. 



The New Forest is, I think, too far west to be much favoured with the (iresence 

 of Iris, which, judging from the localities in which I have seen and caught it, or 

 from which I have received it, appears more partial to the south-eastern, eastern, and 

 east-midland counties. All the specimens in my possession, except the $ above men- 

 tioned, are from Sussex, Kent, Lincolnshire, or Northamptonshire. — H. Goss, The 

 Avenue, Surbiton Hill : 2Hd March, 1878. 



Luminous Lepidopterous larva. — In reading Mr. Tliomas P. Bigg-Wither's 

 most interesting recent book, "Pioneering in South Brazil" (Murray, 1878), I have 

 been especially struck with one passage, which seems to me to deserve serious atten- 

 tion from Entomologists. This passage is in chapter 4 of vol. i, pp. 301 — 303, and is 

 here reproduced :— 



" Before concluding this chapter, I should mention another class of insect which 

 " was now beginning to force itself upon our notice, first, by its wondrous beauty, and, 

 " secondly, by the terrible punishment it litis the power of inflicting ujion whomsoever 

 " it touches. This is the tribe of the hairy caterpillars. Every evening after sunset, 

 " the borders of the camp clearing were lit up with many scores of these luminoiis 

 " caterpillars, most of which emitted light from every ring or band of their bodies. 



"The phosphorescence was not confined to the under part of Ihe uninial, as in 

 " our common glow-worm, but shone out also from the back and sides. The optical 

 " effect was tliat produced by a railway train when running at night with all its 

 " carriages lit up. The varieties of these caterpillars were legion. 1'lieir bodies were 

 " protected by triple coats of mail, that is to say, they were covered with a hairy 

 " substance which, in some species, took the form of moss, and, in others, of' groups 

 " of stag-antlers. To attempt to touch these creatures with the naked hand, was a 

 "scarcely less hazardous undertaking than plunging one's hand into a live hornet's 

 " nest. Each hair, or point, has the power of inllicting a sting as painful as that of 

 "a certain venomous species of red ant very common in parts of the forest, so that, 

 " if by chance, as not unfrequently befell us when working on the picada, one of 

 " these caterpillars happen to drop off a tree on to the hand, or, worse still, on to the 

 " nape of the neck, the pain is almost unbearable, the spot on which the creature 

 " falls immediately becoming inflamed, and afterwards swelling up to a great size^ 

 " The best cure for these most painful stings is the immediate application of some 

 " strong spirit, either cachat;a, brandy, or ammonia. Birds will not touch these 

 " caterpillars, their chief enemies appearing to bo certain species of black ants, which 

 " I shall have occasion to refer to later on, and also the largo kind.s of wasps and 

 " hornets. 



"Frequently, at night, as many as four or five individuals would mount up the 

 "palm tree walls of my hut, forming a most beautiful illumination. Notwithjtand- 

 " ing that the phosphorescence in these caterpillars extends over almost the wliolo of 

 " their bodies, the light they give is not brilliant, like, for instance, that of the great 

 " fire-beetles, but is of a most soft and subdued character. 



