278 [December, 



Larva of Doryphora paJustrella. — A carefully executed drawing has been most 

 kindly forwarded to inc, by Mr. Sydney Webb, of a larva which I believe to be 

 previously unknown, but from specimens of which Mr. William Purdcy, of Folke- 

 stone, has reared sorne beautiful examples of Doryphora palustrella, allowing me 

 also to examine the specimens. 



The larva is somewhat spindle-shaped, the segments plump and well defined ; 

 head rather small, rounded, orange-brown ; dorsal plate similar in colour, divided 

 in the middle, and there minutely dotted with black ; anal plate and prologs horn- 

 colour ; feet brown ; body flesh-colour, with the markings dull crimson ; dorsal line 

 rather broad, continuous ; subdorsal lines also broad and of the same colour, but 

 much broken and arranged in oblique streaks or undulations ; on each segment are 

 two orange dots at the edges of the dorsal line; the usual raised dots black. 



On common dock (Rumex), mining in the stem, eating the pith and leaving its 

 excrement in the hollowed space, but not entering the root. Mr. Purdey tells me 

 that he believes the egg to be laid on tiie stem, and that the young larva entei's it 

 and mines down into the crown of the root, feeding there through the winter and 

 becoming full grown by June, by which time the plant is, in many cases, killed. 

 Then it gnaws a small gallery in the crown of the root and spins its cocoon therein, 

 emerging as a moth in July or early in August. 



The occurrence of this scarce species on the coast of Kent is not new, since it 

 has at different times been captured near Deal, but only in very small numbers. Its 

 usual home is in the Fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, where it is taken occa- 

 sionally flying towards dusk, and more frequently by crawling among the long grass 

 and herbage by day, or else by the aid of a lantern late at night ; but I think 

 nothing lias been observed there to point to its connection with docks, and that it 

 has been supposed to be attached to reeds, grasses, or sedges. Great credit I think is 

 due to Mr. Purdey for this notable and unexpected discovery. — Chas. G. Baebett, 

 Tremont, Peckhain Rye : November 8th, 1904. 



Aplecta nebulo.ia, Hufn., var. thompsoni. — In my description of this new 

 variety {ante, p. 180), I refer to the chief features which separate it from robsoni, 

 as follows : — 



" The outer margins are white, and include, in addition to the cilia, the areas 

 of black crescentic spots which appear in the typical form of the insect from Dela- 

 mere Forest. These white margins are consequently scalloped interiorly." 



Mr. Porritt protests against the name thompsoni, and says (ante, p. 236), 

 " I received recently specimens of this Delamere Forest form from Mr. W. Mans- 

 bridge, of Liverpool, and although not exactly like the original specimens of var. 

 robsoni, it only differs from it in the presence of a few small inconspicuous whitish 

 marks, and ought, I think, to be included in it." 



Mr. Tutt goes further, and asserts (ante, p. 255), that " thompsoni is absolutely 

 robsoni." And then he continues : " the type of robsoni has the indistinct median 

 ti'ansverse band, indistinct orbicular and reuiform, white fringes, the three white 

 spots at apical angle, and the greyish scallops." 



After comparing these expressions of opinion with my description, I claim that 



