80 THE entomologist's record. 



were larvjp of P. hmnrta, but hoped that they were. The odd larva 

 was at least a moult in advance of the others, as it had changed to a 

 ground colour of apple-green. I made some descriptive notes of the 

 larvjB while rearing them, but find that these notes are so fully in 

 accord with Mr. Ealeigh Hmallman's clear information on the subject, 

 which appeared in the Knt. Jlrmrd for September, 1902, that it would be 

 mere repetition to reproduce them. I do not think, however, that any 

 mention was made by Mr. Smallman of the colour of the head of the 

 adult larva, which is palish yellow. I may also add that the larvte are 

 most easy to rear. Each larva remains at the back of a delphinium 

 leaf until it has eaten it completely away, and then it travels to a fresh 

 leaf and attacks that. Finally, when full-fed, it spins up upon the 

 underside of a complete leaf. The larvae which I had taken, with the 

 exception of one, which somehow or other escaped from the breed- 

 ing-cage, became full-fed and spun up on the following dates — June 

 9th, one ; June 12th, one ; June 15th, two ; June 17th, two ; June 

 30th, one ; June 22nd, two. The dates and time of appearance of the 

 imagines were as under : — 



From cocoons taken on June 4th . . . . . . 2 .June '27th about 9 p.m. 



(1 „ 30th ,, 9 „ 



1 July 1st ,. 10 „ 

 From cocoons taken on June 18th .. •• "1 " -"^^ " 10 a.m. 



1 ,, 4th ,, 10 p.m. 

 1,1 did not emerge. 

 From cocoon taken at Croydon on July (Hh . . 1 July 7th about 10 p.m. 



1 June 30th ,, 9 ,, 



1 July 1st ,, 10 „ 



From cocoons taken on May 30th. . . . . . -! o " ,..i. " o " 



•2 ,, 7th ,, 8 „ 

 \2 ,, 8th „ 10 „ 

 All the cocoons found by me in a state of nature were bright 

 yellow in colour, while those spun by the larvft? in my possession were 

 either white or very pale yellow. The change in the coloration of the 

 cocoons spun by the larv;e, may have been due to the fact that the 

 larvfe were reared indoors. — A. Russeli-, F.E.S., Southend, nr. 

 Catford. 



J^RACTICAL HINTS*. 



Field Work from Middle of March to Middle of April. 



1. — The larviB of I'acdisra (ippri'ssaiia are now to be obtained in 

 tubes formed of silk interwoven with particles of their excrement on 

 the terminal buds of several species of r'u/ndiis. The shoots with 

 attacked buds if stood in damp sand will yield imagines freely. 



2. — Ste(ian(i]iti/clu( iii/niiiacana should be worked for from the end of 

 March. The males fly round spruce firs in the sunshine after mid- 

 day. The females, being very sluggish, require to be beaten from the 

 trees, and a sharp look-out must be kept for them, as they invariably 

 fall to the ground, and so require to be intercepted with a net in their 

 descent. Hitherto this species has been recorded only from Cambridge- 

 shire and Norfolk. 



* " Practical Hints for the Field Lepidopterist," Pts. I and II, each contain 

 some 1250 practical bints similar to these. Interleaved for collector's own notes. 

 Price 6s. each part. 



