1879.] 21 



spots also, but of a much paler tint, each bearing a fine hair ; the front margin of 

 the anterior plate, pointed in the centre and curving away concaTely, showed that 

 whenever the head should be retracted the margin of the plate would accurately fit 

 against the lobes on the crown of the head, and protect the soft flexible skin between 

 them, for as in the younger larva so in the full-grown this interval of skin presented 

 a noticeable character ; a flesh-coloured short dorsal division appeared on the hinder 

 part of the plate, the spiracles black, the ventral and anal feet fringed with dark 

 brown hooks. 



The pupa (?) measures a trifle more than seven-eighths of an inch in length, and 

 a little over two-eighths in thickest diameter, the shape similar to that of polyodon, 

 the abdominal tip with a flattish prolongation terminating with two straight pointed 

 spines ; the wing covers, leg and antenna cases rather roughened, and on the back 

 of the abdomen a narrow band of punctate roughness lies across the front of each 

 flexible segment ; the colour for some time is brick-red, but as it matures becomes 

 purplish-brown with the tip pitchy-black, having generally little gloss. 



As to localities, I am disposed to believe with Mr. Stevens that wherever its 

 food-plants, Poa maritima, distans, and Borreri grow along sea banks, the margins 

 of tidal rivers, salterns, muddy creeks, and salt water ditches, aljecta may there be 

 found ; but be this as it may, I am now able to appreciate properly the hard work 

 Mr. Stevens must have expended in his persevering researches, which were formerly 

 so successful in the neighbourhood of G-ravesend and at other similar places. — 

 William Bijckleb, Emsworth : Ai^ril 30th, 1879. 



Description of the larva of llelliphora alvearia.- — I have, on different occa- 

 sions, been indebted to Mr. S. L. Mosley, of this town, for supplies of larvse of this 

 species. He finds them, full grown, in an old bee hive, generally at the beginning of 

 May. Length about five-eighths of an inch, and of moderate bulk in proportion ; 

 head polished, it has the lobes rounded, and is slightly narrower than the second 

 segment ; body cylindrical, of almost uniform width throiighout, but tapering a 

 little towards the anal segment ; there is a polished plate on the hinder part of the 

 second segment : skin soft and semi-translucent, the segmental divisions well defined. 

 Ground colour, both dorsally and ventrally, greyish-white, through which the in- 

 ternal working of the muscles shows, of a purple shade ; a dark purplish pulsating 

 vessel forms the dorsal line ; head dark brown ; the frontal plate of the same colour 

 behind, but paler in front ; spiracles minute, very dark brown ; when the larva is at 

 rest, the segmental divisions appear white, from the overlapping of the skin, but this 

 is not observable when it is crawling. Those I had last year produced imagos about 

 the middle of July. — Geo. T. Poeritt, Highroyd House, Huddersfield : May 17th, 

 1879. 



FterophoridcB taken in the Talais, June and Jidy, 1878. — Agdistis paralias, on 

 a dry hill covered with Ononis natrix and Colutcea arborescens at Sierre. Platyp- 

 tilia gonodactyla, abundant on coltsfoot by Zermatt church. P. Zetterstedti, in 

 fields beyond the church, also on the Riffelberg, and on the way to the Schwarzen. 

 P. tesseradactyla (Fischeri), Eiffelberg. Amblyptilia cosmodactyla, Riffelberg. I 

 believe I saw Oxyptilus hieracii in the Yisp Valley, but failed in catching it. Mi- 

 mceseoptilus coprodactylus, common at Zermatt. Pterophorus monodactylus, Sierre. 

 Leioptihts osteodactylus, very common amongst golden rod on the Riffelberg ; Botys 



