1805.] 215 



Dasycanipa rubujinea. — With reference to the notice in your Nov. No. by- 

 Mr. Stevens of the capture of this species, I may state that, although I have never 

 been lucky enough with it to be able to say much of my own experience, yet I have 

 alwaj's understood from others who were luckier, that there was just as great a chance 

 of taking rubiijinea on cold nights at the end of October and beginning of November, 

 when only two moths in all might be seen, as on warm favourable nights when the 

 ivy blossoms were swarming with hundreds of moths of other species. One night 

 I shall never forget (October 27th, 1857), when three of us took as many as nine 

 specimens in less than an hour ; it was almost my first visit to the ivj'-, and I am 

 fully convinced (to use a phrase often addressed to me by certain penitent sinners 

 of my acquaintance,) it was the " first and last time " of such luck for me. — 

 Rev. J. Helltns. 



Description of the larva of Pterophorns hrachydactylus. — In June, 1856, I 

 received, through the kindness of Mr. Stainton (who had them from Professor 

 Zeller, of Zurich), two larvae of Pterophorus hrachydactyhis ; they were found on 

 Prenanthes purpitrea, but whilst in my possession they ate Lactuca muralis freely, 

 feeding on the upper surface of the leaf, and living on it without any attempt at 

 concealment. 



The larvae were narrowly fusiform in shape, not flattened from above down- 

 wards, and with sixteen feet, the two segments which followed the three pairs of 

 true legs having, however, prominences beneath. 



The head was yellowish-brown ; the body green, with the dorsal line of a 

 darker green colour; the sub-dorsal line was also dai-k green, but so wavy, as 

 almost to present the appearance of separate spots upon each segment ; the 

 spiracles were black. There were two rows of lateral tubercles, each of which 

 had a few dusky grey hairs springing from it. 



Neither of these larvae were reared ; when apparently full fed they became 

 stationary, without forming any silken fastening, and in a few days a cocoon of one 

 of the MuscidcB emerged from each larva. The small flies reared from these 

 apparently belonged to the genus Musca, or Anthomyia (Tachina ? Eds.). — R. C. R. 

 Jordan, M.D., \%th November, 1864. 



Note on RMzophagus parallelocollis, Gyll. — Wliat is the usual habit of this 

 species ? I have twice taken it myself, and both times in or near a burying ground. 

 On the first occasion I found it in the grounds at Lanercost Abbej^, Cumberland, 

 some years ago, either crawling on the tomb-stones, or concealed between them 

 and the turf at their feet ; and this year I met with the same insect at Jesmond 

 Cemetery, near Newcastle. A " brother chip," who sent it to me for a name, also 

 found it frequenting the head-stones in a churchyard. — T. J. Bold, Long Benton, 

 21st November, 1864. 



Singuhir cocoon of Saturnio, carpini. — I have a very singular cocoon of S. carpini, 

 it is constructed with three valvular apertures for egression ; two of which are 

 quite perfect and beautifully formed, the other is deficient of the usual converging- 

 filamentary portion. It was constructed by a larva from which I bred a fine male 

 specimen. — A. Edmunds, Tiie Tything, Worci^ster. 



