18 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



The only thing that appears at all abundant is the larva; of Bombyx 

 rubi. In some places in the park it is difficult to avoid treading on 

 them, the curious thing being that there is no heath there, and they are 

 feeding on grass. — R. B. Robertson, Sketty Park, Swansea. September 

 2C^/h, 1891. 



The larvse of this moth {B. riibi) have been unusually abundant this 

 autumn. We have no heath where it abounds ; I do not think this is 

 really the natural food of the larvas, but the common bramble, hence the 

 specific name rubi. The larvae appear, as Captain Robertson remarks, to 

 feed on grass until three parts grown, when they collect in small colonies 

 on the nearest bramble, and are afterwards found rambling in search 

 of winter quarters ; I have a numerous batch of the larvae feeding in a 

 natural condition in a sunny position, being only confined to a certain 

 space of ground ; these were picked off the grass culms when about an 

 inch long. I believe it is better to collect them when about this size 

 than wait till they are three parts grown, as when this size they are 

 more likely to be stung, which accounts for failures, to some extent, ni 

 breeding the imago. My larvae at the present time are quite as fine as 

 any to be found in the wild state, they have been fed on bramble, but 

 have also eaten most of the grass in their enclosure. — J. Mason, 

 Clevedon Court Lodge, Somerset. October 21st, 1891. 



Habits of THE Larva of Emmelesiaunifasciata. — I have been taking 

 the larvae of Emmelesia unifasciata in this neighbourhood during the last 

 week ot September and the first week of October. Not many years ago this 

 insect was a rarity, and it seems a good example of what is probably the 

 case with many others, that, when their life-history is known, what were 

 previously thought rarities are often found to be generally distributed. 

 A worn imago came to light in August, so, towards the end of September, 

 I searched the Odontites rubra {Bartsia odo/itites) in several places in 

 the neighbourhood. In the locality for the insect, near Croydon, 

 searching for it is very wearisome and unproductive (indeed I found 

 none by searching here), so I followed the plan I had found successful 

 before, and cut off sprigs of the unripe capsules, enough to fill a large 

 bag. How the larvae manage to conceal themselves in, or partly in, the 

 small capsules, is a wonder to me ! This I did on several occasions 

 from different localities, and turned the contents of the bag into band 

 boxes with muslin over the top, on my return home. In the course of 

 the next day, or a few days, or even longer, the larvae attach themselves 

 to the muslin, and I then take them out and put them into a cage with 

 fresh sprays of the foodplant and sandy earth, in which they soon 

 pupate. If taken earlier than the last week in September or beginning 

 of October, it would be necessary to sprinkle some water occasionally 

 over the capsules to prevent their getting too dry, and also to add some 

 fresh food now and then, but this trouble is avoided by taking the larvae 

 when I mention, when they are nearly full-fed. They make a small neat 

 oval tight cocoon, and many go over a year before emergence. I expect 

 the insect might be taken in very many localities where it is now un- 

 known, if this plan were adopted, — and the larvae are very easy to rear. 

 The Bartsia grows as a weed in most places, at the roadside hedges, 

 and in rough pasture land and waste places. — W. S. Riding, Buckerell 

 Lodge, Honiton, Devonshire. October, i8gi. 



Sphinx convolvuli at Howih. — In October, I got a specimen of 



