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larvae are exposed. A few days ago I was "meditating" (not like Isaac, "at even- 

 tide," it was during the heat of the day) in a small greenhouse where were several 

 young birches ; each plant had on it three or four groups of juvenile larvae of 

 tlndromis Versicolor about half-an-inch in length ; one batch occupied the apex of a, 

 plant, and consisted of sixteen or eighteen individuals. They were at rest, that is, 

 not at the moment feeding but, as is then* habit previous to the first moult, sitting 

 with heads erect. One of the top lights of the room was open for ventilation, a 

 queen wasp (wasps, by-^he-bye, are very abundant this year) entered, and after 

 making the circuit of the place, pounced on this group, and before I could interfere, 

 at one " grab," seized about half-a-dozen, and instantly gobbled them down. You 

 may be sure I did not allow her the opportunity of enjoying a second bonne bouche, 

 nor did the larvae themselves, they seemed in a terrible fright and marched off down 

 the stem with an alacrity of which, judging from their ordinary habits, I had not 

 thought them capable. Seizing the first baton on which I could lay my hand, 1 struck 

 her from the twig, but sufficiently gently not to injure the larvae, then pursued the 

 gourmand round the greenhouse. In her headlong course she not only omitted to 

 escape " by the way she came," but plunged into the web of a large sjDider, which 

 being fixed in a corner had escaped notice. A determined contest now ensued, the 

 spider using every stratagem to disable and pinion his powerful prisoner, yet not 

 daring to close with her, one grasp of those powerful mandibles on the soft body of 

 the spider would have been destruction, as indeed it had been to my pets. I watched 

 the contest, ready to assist the spider in need. The wasp was gradually breaking 

 loose, so I applied the end of my baton, getting her between it and the woodwork, 

 and thus (as Mr. Newman would express it), "interfered with her structure," alias 

 " broke every bone in her skin," and her skin too. I now turned to see what was 

 going on among the dispersed larvae ; they had ascended a lateral branch, and were 

 comfortably congregated at the tip. Turning to the defunct wasp, I found the 

 spider, who of course retreated on my late intei'ferance, had returned to the 

 charge, and not meeting with opposition had dragged the wasp into his retreat, and 

 was luxuriating on an ample repast. I well know that this dai'k gentleman, had he 

 the opportunity, would enjoy the juices of half-a-dozen of my larvae with quite as 

 much gusto as did the wasp, and so considering his will equal to the other's deed 

 (perhaps not sound law) I applied a hke pressure to him, and thus removed all 

 danger so far as these two gourmands wore concerned. 



When we coiisider the numerous enemies to which larvae are exposed, birds, 

 wasps, spiders, wood-lice, earwigs, beetles, man, we need not be surprised that many 

 species are so scarce, but rather that any come to maturity. — George Gascoyne. 



XyUna conspicillaris. — Having dug 1465 pupae of various species during the 

 last autumn and winter, I was lucky enough to breed one fine specimen of X. con- 

 spicillaris out of this number on the 19th April. It emerged in the forenoon at 

 the same time as the TcBniocampa. When at i-est the wings are closely pressed to 

 the sides as in X. puMs ; the breadth across the thorax, viewed from above, being 

 greater than across the other extremity, wings included. — Rev. E. HoiiroN, Lower 

 Wick, Worcester, May, 1864. 



