LARVAL HABITS. 809 



tion only indicates close relationship (? generic), then in time we shall 

 accumulate sufficient material to automatically arrange our genera. 



Applying this idea to the list published in this month's Ent. Record, 

 p. 283, we notice how regular is the rule that cross-pairings, so far as 

 known, occur within genera, and where exceptions occur, one is 

 tempted to think that possibly our generic separations are too fine, 

 see Mimas tiliaex SnierintJius ocellata, Calasipnholus aatijlnsy. SwerinthuK 

 ocellata, Amorpha popidix SinermtJvix ocellata, and so on. I am hoping 

 then that this uncanny practice which has arisen amongst entomo- 

 logists of late years, may prove a real help and guide in that final and 

 complete classification Avhich must some day be arrived at. The 

 pairing without fertile ova being produced, of course proves nothing, 

 save that there is a line drawn by nature beyond which hybridisation 

 cannot extend. It may be that, in our future lists, these lines of 

 separation may be boundaries of genera, rather than groups or 

 families. 



I should like then to ofi'er my congratulations to those workers 

 who are engaged in this field of investigation, as well as those who 

 have in the past urged them on to the work, which above all others in 

 entomology calls for patience and ability to persevere against dis- 

 appointment and discouragement. 



It will be understood, I hope, that my standpoint in the matter is 

 this, that the simple existence of these specimens is in itself a plain 

 and unalterable proof of fact, whatever may have been their history or 

 their habits. 



Larval Habits. 



By A. SICH, F.E.S. 



Mr. Dadd's paper on " Larval Habits " [antea, p. 256) is one of the 

 most interesting I have read for some time. There is little doubt in 

 my mind that Mr. Dadd is quite right in his contention that the 

 concealed mode of feeding is not adopted by very small larvae, whether 

 young of large species or those of small species, primarily for the 

 purpose of eluding predatory enemies, but that it is resorted to in 

 order to protect these minute beings from the inclemency of the 

 elements. One of the chief conditions against which small larvae have 

 to contend is, no doubt, excessive moisture, and another is excessive 

 drought. Mr. Dadd pointed out how deleterious the former condition 

 is to very small larvte, and I think it may be shown that the latter 

 condition is equally destructive. If we take the larvfe of Lithocolletis, 

 Ncpticiila or Phijllocuistis, from their mines, they will very soon dry up, 

 though nearly all the Nepticulids naturally leave the mine to pupate. 

 In rearing the Microlepidoptera, the difficulty is usually how to keep 

 the larvfB sufficiently moist and yet to prevent mould. The known 

 larvjB of the genus Micropteryx {raltheUa, etc.) live among moss under 

 very wet conditions, and that of Gli/p/iiptcnjA- equitclla lives in the juicy 

 leaves of the stonecrop. In fact, we may take it as a rule that 

 minute larvae live in a more or less moist situation. On the other 

 band, do we find that concealed feeders are less often attacked by 

 parasites than exposed feeders ? I think not. I have reared many 

 parasites from Coleophorids, Lithocolletids, Nepticulids, etc., while 

 amongst the Macrolepidoptera, Dasypolia templi and (Tortijna ochracea 



