NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC, 139 



viz., elm chips and sawdust. I was surprised to find that they at once 

 commenced to voraciously devour and to tunnel the large corks in all 

 directions, apparently enjoying the new material as food. On removing 

 several wine corks, nothing was left but an outer shell, and in several 

 instances a full-fed larva was comfortably coiled up in the interior, 

 where one would have thought it was almost impossible for such a 

 large larva to find accommodation. Another remarkable thing was, I 

 could find no excrement, unless it was passed in the same, or a similar 

 state as when eaten ; that it was eaten must be evident from the fact 

 that most of the larvre attained a much larger size. This circumstance 

 has puzzled me on former occasions, when I have bred the insect from 

 tolerably small larvae. Has that oily exudation peculiar to the larvae 

 anything to do with the digestive organs, or is it only an offensive odour 

 inherent in the creature as a protection against its enemies? Perhaps 

 this experience may be an aid to those who breed C. ligniperda, that in 

 the absence of a tree or its ordinary food, old corks form an excellent 

 substitute, and also illustrates the wonderful power of the jaws of this 

 larva, who can in a very short space of time drill a hole through a piece 

 of cork 2 or 3 inches thick, quite as neat as any sharp-edged tool of 

 the carpenter. — J. P. Mutch, Hornsey Rise. 



Times of Flight of the Crambi. — My experience of the time of 

 flight of the Crambi is much more in accordance with that of Mr. 

 Harker than of Mr. Reid. I believe the real time of flight of nearly 

 all the species to be from dusk till midnight. It is my experience of 

 the following, viz. : — Fahelbis. — From early dusk till 12.30 a.m. This 

 insect I used to take freely in my own garden. I believe the larva feeds 

 on the moss which grows on walls, thatch and buildings. PrcBtellus. — 

 From dusk till dark. This is the only species I have met with, which 

 does not fly late, but it is always more or less on the move by day. 

 Ericellus.- — Habits similar to p?-cBtellus. This is (or was) a very abun- 

 dant Rannoch insect. Margaritellus — This is also a Rannoch insect. 

 Both ericellus and margaritellus I have met with as late as 11 p.m., or 

 even later. Pascuellus and uligi/iosellus. — In the afternoon, and from 

 dusk far into the night. Furcatellus. — I know little of this insect. I 

 have seen it on Snowdon, where I am told it is often very abundant, 

 but know little of its time of flight. Fifielellus. — Only at dusk and after- 

 wards. PerleUus. — This with us is exclusively a night flyer, swarming 

 at the lamps as late as 2 a.m. Warrifigto/iellus. — Habits X\V.q perlellus, 

 of which it is only a variety. Inquinatellus, geniculellus and contaminellus. 

 — From late dusk till about i a m., cotifamiiiellus the latest. Tristellus. — 

 At dusk till 2 or 3 a.m. Culmellus. — Dusk till 11 p.m. Chrysotiucliellus. 

 — Dusk till II p.m. Hortuellus. — Dusk till 2 a.m. Cerussellus. — 

 Although well on the move all day, I believe its real time of flight is 

 just after dark. This I have observed repeatedly. These observations 

 may be partly proved in this way : I have taken at light every one of 

 the species mentioned above, with the exception of furcatellus and 

 cerussellus., but as the latter does not, as a rule, occur where lamps are 

 abundant, it proves nothing. There is one fact about the Crambi worth 

 nothing, I believe, except falsellus, which is a solitary species, all the 

 others are abundant where they occur, if we only know how to take 

 them. With further knowledge, I believe all our rarer Crambi (except 

 falsellus) will be found to be locally abundant, and as their habits are 

 so very similar I am surprised this is not already the case. — C. Fenn. 



