SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 2'25 



structure. — E. Mevrick, The College, Marlborough. Sept. ly///, 1892. 

 [This want of corfirmation of Mr. Pierce's work by so experienced an 

 entomologist as Mr. Meyrick, will necessitate further experiment. There 

 is no reason to suppose (even though Mr, Meyrick himself suggests it) 

 that the specimens examined by him were not unidentaria. Ot course, 

 the specimen examined by Mr. Pierce may have been abnormal. I do 

 not like to suggest a not unlikely alternative, but had the body of 

 another species been attached, to perfect the unidentaria before it came 

 into Mr. Pierce's hands? — Ed.] 



Variation in Size brought about by food. — The size of Selenia 

 illustraria is much affected by foodplant ; those fed on ash or lime are 

 larger than those on oak or hawthorn, and the larvae also are very 

 distinct in colouring on each tree, assimilating to the twigs. But the 

 various foods have no marked effect on the colour of the imago. — E. 

 A. Bowles. July, 1892. 



Phigalia pilosaria ? SEEKING Male. — In connection with Mr. 

 Moore's note {ante., p. 165), a most interesting note on the probability 

 of male hirfaria attracting the female, by Mr. Silcock is to be found in 

 the E.M.M., vol. xiv., p. 43. — J. W. Tutt. 



Assembling. — I do not know whether it has ever been put on 

 record that Satyrus senide "assembles" after the manner of the 

 Bombyces, etc., by "following the scent," and not (or not solely) by its 

 sense of sight, as is usual, I believe, with the butterflies. Happening 

 to pill-box a ? specimen the other day, and transfer the box to my 

 pocket, I soon noticed a <? flying round me, and even settling about my 

 person ; as semele is not generally a sociable insect, I guessed the cause, 

 and, taking the box from my pocket, held it in my hand, when the male 

 almost immediately settled upon it. In a very few minutes some half 

 dozen were flying about me, evidently in search of the captive $ . 

 One thing I noticed which may be worth mention — that a sort of blind 

 ins'inct seemed to lead them to seek her near the ground, more than 

 one settling on my foot as I stood, though occasionally they found 

 their way up to the elevation of the box. — Louis B. Prout, Marine 

 Villa, Sandown, I.W. \2>th August, 1892, 



|§URRENT NOTES. 



Mr. E. Saunders has io\xn^Elen:hus tenuicornis, Kirby, to be parasitic 

 on a Homopterous insect of the genus Liburnia (probably allied to 

 hrevipennis). 'J'he Rev. A. E. Eaton writes a description, and gives 

 figures, of the same species {E.M.M., p. 250). 



The Rev. C. T. Crutwell records the capture of Ellopia fasciaria 

 var. prasinaria (the green form), Crambus salinellus and Leioptilus 

 lienigianiis at AMeburgh in iSuffolk. 



Mr. Elisha publishes a description of the larva of Sahimnierdaniia 

 apicel/a (con/pte/ia), and states that they feed on the underside of the 

 leaves of sloe-bushes, being solitary when young, and becoming gregarious 

 as they get older. 



Dr. Mason states that, when on a visit to the Rev. A. Matthews of 

 Gumley, he noticed a Pyralid which eventually proved to be Hercyna 

 phrygialis, lib. The specimen is said to have been captured in 



