1912.J 259 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LAEVA OF LUPEBINA GUEN^EI, Dbl. 

 BY GEO. T. PORRITT, F.L.S. 



On July 9tli last I received from Mr. Arthur Murray, of 

 St. Anne's-on-Sea, a larva and a pupa of Luperlna gueiu'ei, the former 

 of which was so far full fed that I do not know that it ate anything at 

 all after I received it. Next day I described both as follows -. — - 



The larva is about an inch long, plmnp, tapering a little at the extremities, 

 cylindi-ical, but with deep wrinkles at the segmental divisions, and shallower 

 wrinkles on the segments themselves, which give it a very uneven appearance. 

 The head has the lobes full and rounded and is narrower than the second segment. 

 The anal plate is evenly roiinded, and has a peculiar semicircular depression ; 

 skin glossy. Its maggoty appearance and small legs clearly indicate it as an 

 underground feeder. Ground coloiu- above and below a dirty whitish-yellow ; 

 head pale yellowish-brown, with the mandibles brownish-black, and the lobes 

 at the sides of the mandibles brownish ; immediately above the brown on the 

 lobes, on each side, are three black spots, and there are two more of these black 

 spots on each side the division of the lobes, the back of the lobes being faintly 

 freckled with wainscot-brown. The alimentary canal shoAvs through the skin 

 as the dorsal line, but there are no subdorsal or spiracular lines ; spiracles 

 black and conspicuous. Frontal plate of the same colour as the rest of the 

 larva, but the ridges on the anal plate formed by the depressions are darker, as 

 are also the tips of the legs and prolegs. Altogether it is a very imattractive 

 looking creature. 



It feeds on the roots of the sea- wheat, Triticiim junceum. 



The pupa is smooth and of the usual noctua shape, a trifle slender, bright 

 brown, the bases of the abdominal divisions rather widely dull black, the eye- 

 pieces and the two points at the tip of the abdomen also blackish ; the front 

 part of each abdominal segment is roughly shagreened. 



From the pupa a nice moth emerged on August 7th, and from 

 the larva a still finer specimen on August 29th. 



Elm Lea, "Dalton, Huddei-sfield : 

 October 11th, 1912. 



THE CAUSE OF "HUMMING IN THE AIR." 

 BY CLAUDE MORLEY, F.Z.S. 



Some years ago my interest was considerably aroused by a 

 discussion respecting the origin of a sibilant humming, well known 

 to every observer of Natin-e with ears to hear, more or less throughoiit 

 the summer season. I was so familiar with the sound from my youth 

 up that it was somewhat startling to discover that I had no notion 



