1878.] Ill 



occurred about old stables and thatch ; this species is probably pretty common in 

 Cambridgeshire, as we found odd specimens in various localities miles apart. A 

 Nascia cilialis came to the light on July 26th, and another was taken by a local 

 collector the same night, though this was a late date for the species. Tortrix dxmie- 

 tana was not uncommon flying on the Fen at dusk, and also came to the lights later. 

 Two Macrogastev arundinis were taken one night by a local collector during our 

 stay, but we failed to get the species. The less rare species we took or noticed 

 included Zenzera wsculi, Cossus ligniperda, Nudaria senex in abundance, mundana 

 much less common, Lithosia complanula, jWseoJa, Tery plentiful, several stramineola ; 

 Epione apiciaria, common, Hemithea thymiaria, Hyria auroraria, Acidalia immutata 

 was about the most abundant geometer on the Fen ; emarginata tolerably common, 

 Eupithecia succenturiata and ahsinthiata, . Coremia unidentaria, in abundance, 

 PJiibalapteryx lignata, common at light, Ptilodontis palpina in fine condition ; 

 Thyatira derasa, Leucania pudorina, phragmitidis, very common, Apamea fibrosa, 

 plentiful at sugared flowers; Miana furuncula, literosa, and arcuosa ; Caradrina 

 alsines, Agrotis ravida, Tryphcena fiynbria, interjecta, common, Noctua rubi and 

 umbrosa ; Hydrelia unca, Herminia cribralis, Pyralis ghmcinalis, Paraponyx stratio- 

 ialis, not uncommon, along with the three moi'e common " china-marks ;" Scoparia 

 cembrcB, mercuralis, very abundant about thatch, several lineolalis in similar situations, 

 pallida plentiful on the Fen, but mostly in bad condition ; Crambus pinetellus, 

 perlellus, selasellus, and others; Chilo phragmifellus abundant; Melia sociella, 

 Peronea Shepherdana, common, Ortltotania antiquana, Bactra. uliginosana, Anesychia, 

 funerella, &c. Of larvse, we found PapiUo Machaon pretty freely in all stages of 

 growth, mostly on the wild carrot, but some were feeding on Angelica; Smerinthus 

 ocellatus on willow ; Cli(Brocampw Elpenor (both varieties). Cossus ligniperda, one 

 crawling on the floor inside the inn ; Saturnia carpini, Eupithecia valerianata, 

 common in the valerian flowei'-heads ; Cidaria sagittata, full-fed, on the seeds of 

 Thalictrum flavum; Simyra venosa on sedge; and Pteropliorus microdactylus in 

 stems of Eupatorium. 



June had evidently been a good month at Wicken, as we saw three Hydrilla 

 palustris in the local collector's boxes ; and Macrcgaster arundinis, Meliana flammea 

 and Nascia cilialis had been taken in fair quantity.- — Geo. T. Poeeitt, Highroyd 

 House, Huddersfield : September 4th, 1878. 



Habits of the larrce of Tipuli ohracea. — During the last twenty-one years I have 

 resided in a house overlooking the north side of London fields, Hackney, and in al- 

 most every year there has been a flight of that most undevout of insects, the " daddy 

 long-legs." Soii;e three years since, a large section of the grourd was ploughed up 

 and sown with grass by the Metropolitan Board of Works, and a few months later it 

 became apparent that the larvae of the crane-fly existed in the soil by millions. Ac- 

 cording to a habit I have, I watched their customs, and the efforts made to extirpate 

 them. In spite of fences, trenches, salt, &c., they succeeded in destroying acres of 

 grass, apparently feeding above ground by night and under ground by day. How 

 there came to be such a wonderful accession is unknown, and we asked whether the 

 eggs came in the grass-seed, whether the bird-catchers who haunted the place had 

 removed the natural enemy of the grub, &c., &c. Anyhow, there they were, nor did 

 they confine themselves to the least trodden parts, but were specially abundant in 



