CURRENT NOTES. 155 



bred a very large number of the moth. I am trying them again this 

 season in the hope of obaining fresh varieties. I have also among my 

 specimens illustrating the life history of this species, two flies which 

 emerged from a cocoon ; they are not ichneumons, but diptera, closely 

 resembling the common house-fly. The same species also emerged 

 from a cocoon of Bombyx rubi. — Hv. Ullyett, Folkestone. 



White variety of Rumia crat^gata. — ^For the past ten days a num- 

 ber of R. cratcBgaia imagines have been daily emerging in my breeding 

 cage, which were bred from larvns obtained from a whitethorn hedge in 

 my own garden last September. One of these moths which emerged 

 yesterday, is so totally different in colour from the ordinary type, that it 

 may perhaps interest some of your readers if I give its description. 

 All the wings are pure white, the costal margin of the forewings have 

 the usual red brown spots, which crahegata possesses, but are not quite 

 so large or distinct. The two little brown spots near the middle of 

 each forewing, have a white centre, and are well defined. Unfor- 

 tunately the two hind wings are crippled. The head, thorax, and body 

 are a beautiful glossy white. The undersides are also white. I sliall 

 be glad to know if any of your readers have even bred a variety of this 

 insect similar to the description I have given, and whether any one can 

 account for the colour being so different from the ordinary form. — 

 H. Shortridge Clarke, 2, Osborne Terrace, Douglas, Isle of Man. 

 May 2\sf, 1892. 



Food and Variation. — In order to see if the food of the larva had 

 any effect upon the coloration of the imago, I fed up a brood of 

 Spilosoma lubricipeda upon red pickling cabbage. They ate the coloured 

 cuticle chiefly, their frass was the colour of their food, yet the imagines 

 emerged if anything rather paler than the normal. A great proportion 

 of the larvae died, and a number of pupae were consumed by the 

 surviving larvie. A brood oi A ret la caja I tried to rear on red cabbage 

 all died. — Harry Moore, 12, Lower Road, S.E. 



Current notes. 



Mr. Bignell describes {E.M.M. p. 176) a new species of Cynipidoe 

 under the name of Spathegaster pu7ictatus. 



Reports of Delopela pulehella continue to come to hand. Specimens 

 of Deilephlla llvornlca also have been taken by Captain Robertson at 

 Swansea, by Mrs. Routledge at Carlisle, by Mr. Newton at Winchester 

 and by Mr, Flood at Dorking. Colias edusa was still on the wing 

 on Saturday last, July 9th ; but Lieutenant Brown has eclipsed all 

 previous records for the year up to date by taking Cloantha perspicillaris 

 Xpolyodon) near Folkestone. 



At Oxford, Mr. Stainton has been appointed as one of the Curators 

 of the Hope Professorship, held by the veteran entomologist Professor 

 J. O. Westwood. 



One of the oldest entomologists has, we regret to say, passed away in 

 the person of Professor H. C. Burmeister at the age of 85. 



A first class plate illustrating the genital organs of the Coleophorce, 

 lately differentiated by Dr. Wood, is given with the current number of 

 the E.M.M. 



