116 VARIETIES. 



month of June 1832, 1 now and then indulged in a little of my 

 favourite pursuit — Entomology. On one occasion, I found a 

 fir-pole much perforated by some Xylophagous insect: on the 

 surface of this pole were several specimens of Cheiropachus 

 pulchellus (Walker's MS.), busily employed in examining, and 

 occasionally inserting their abdomens into these perforations. 

 The Cheiropachus I first secured, and then immediately com- 

 menced stripping this pole of its bark ; under which I found 

 Hylurgus piniperda in all stages of existence, from the larva?, 

 some of which were very small, to the perfect insect. 



I therefore have reason to believe, from these circumstances, 

 and observations I made some time back on another species 

 (Quadrum) of this genus, that they are parasites on the genus 

 Hylurgus. 



It is singular that, on examination, I found all my specimens 

 of the Cheiropachus males, except one ; though, from the way 

 in which they were employed, I should have suspected they 

 would have proved to be the opposite sex. 



A. Cooper. 

 Nov. 27, 1833. 



6. Capture of Sjihinx Nerii. — Sir, Having read in your 

 valuable Magazine for last October a communication from Mr. 

 Stephens of the capture of the Sphinx Nerii at Dover, last 

 autumn, I have much pleasure in being able to inform you, 

 that it most decidedly is a British insect. A fine larva of that 

 moth was taken in a lady's garden at Teignmouth, Devon, in 

 August 1832, and communicated to me by Mrs. Tayleur, an 

 entomological friend of mine there, accompanied by a highly- 

 finished coloured drawing of the same, taken from life. But 

 unfortunately it died in a few days after its capture, from the 

 injuries it received from the person who brought it to my friend 

 under the erroneous impression of its being venomous. The 

 perriwinkle is abundant in the garden where the larva was 

 found : it is therefore a natural supposition, (as expressed by 

 a writer in the Natural History Magazine for March 1832), 

 " that it may resort to the Vinca major and minor, or some 

 species of that tribe, as a substitute for the Oleander, which 

 requires protection from the severity of the winter in many 



