208 [February, 



larva stretches itself out as far as it can reacli, witliout leaving its 

 hold of its work, in order to gather this building material, which it 

 collects and, so to speak, with it builds up plank by plank its house. 

 One larva had commenced to spin up its cocoon on the side of the 

 bottle, and it happened (possibly by the shifting of the bottle) that 

 this necessary material was not within its reach, it had spun its silken 

 pad and commenced on the side pieces, but then it came to a stand for 

 want of material. I watched it thus for two entire days, but it could 

 not proceed with its work ; I then placed some dried grass roots 

 within its reach, and the cocoon was then in due time completed. As 

 soon as these side pieces are finished (an operation which occupies 

 some thirty-six hours' labour), it commences at the lower end to draw 

 over the two sides so that their edges just meet, and spins them thus 

 firmly together, working in this manner steadily upwards till nearly 

 closed in, the larva then enters the cocoon, draws over the top or head 

 piece, and lines the interior with silk ; when completed, it is neat and 

 compact, something like the cocoon of Nola albidalis, except that it 

 is obtusely blunt at the top, whilst albidalis has it pointed at each 

 end, like that of the ZijqcBncB. 



By keeping my pupae in a warm room, the images commenced to 

 appear December 10th, and came out at intervals until December 28th, 

 in all twenty perfect specimens ; my treatment of them had been 

 most successful, not losing one by death. The perfect insect varies 

 very much indeed : the typical form is almost white ; some are a pure 

 white, without a mark on the wings, save the raised button-like scales ; 

 others are grey, with a darker central grey band ; two or three have 

 the usual lines of the superior wings strongly marked, but no central 

 shading ; in all of them {tliat are lined) the most distinct lines are 

 those next to and parallel with the hind margin. 



3, Lewisham Eoad, Greenwich : 



December 30t/i, 18V9. 



Sericoris littoralis. — I bred this species last season tvom. Jloioer heads of thrift, 

 but I am not prepared to say that the larvte had fed up in the heads, as they might 

 possibly only have entered them for the purpose of pupation ; be this as it may, I 

 was unable to find a single larva among the leaves, though I examined many tufts of 

 the plant with the view of so doing, but from a large number of the flowers which I 

 gathered in June, and which I supposed to contain SjjJialeroptera ictericana larvae 

 only, I obtained imagines of both species, the proportion being one of the former to 

 twelve of the latter. — Richard South, 13, Bonchurch Villas, Ealing : January Gth, 

 1880. 



