187*.] 197 



one-eighth of an inch, and occupies about a third (in some iuBtances hull) the entire 

 length of the whole ; this ariterior portion is followed (sometimes at an abnipt angle) 

 bj the middle part of the tube, which is about half-an-inch in length and five- 

 sixteenths of an inch in diameter, its hinder end connected with a congeries or cluster 

 of rather rounded and bulb-like terminal pouches, each of which is about one-eighth 

 of an inch or little more in diameter ; these appendages add a length to the central 

 part of the tube of from three-eighths to three-fourths of an inch ; the poiichca 

 varying in number from three or four to eight or nine, and are stuffed full with frass, 

 and sometimes appear in a biu-sthig condition ; they are of a pale sulphur-yellow 

 colour, palest next the middle part of the case, which itself is the darkest and 

 brownest portion of the whole construction. 



These cases all lie more or less in a horizontal position, their mouths in con- 

 nection with the plant stems of Ammophila arenaria, near the crown of the roots, 

 on which part the larvse feed ; and the depth in the sand at which they may bo 

 found varies from one inch to even three or four, as tlie surface shifts accoi'ding to 

 the action of the wind ; and thus sometimes they are quite exposed to view, and at 

 other times they are buried deep by the accumulations blown over them. So great 

 are the ravages made by these little creatures, that a plant is frequently so hollowed 

 out as even to bo killed. 



The larva itself is about half-an-inch in length when fall-grown, moderately 

 stout and cylindrical, but the foi'c-part of the back curves a little convexly down- 

 wards to the head, and the hinder part tapers through the last four segments to the 

 anal extremity ; the head is much smaller than the second segment, within which it 

 is often partially withdrawn ; all the legs rather small in proportion, though perfectly 

 developed. In colour it is of a pale rather subdued orange-yellow, the head palo 

 reddish-brown ; down the back is a very faint reddish dorsal line, and there are two 

 equally faint reddish transverse squarish bars on the back of each segment extending 

 to the sub-dorsal region ; the spu-acles are of the ground colour, as arc also the 

 polished plates on the second and anal segments ; a few soft and very fine pale hairs 

 issue from either extremity, and from the usual tubercular situations on the body. 



The larva, when about to pupate, leaves its abode, and spins 7iear its tube, but 

 not in any way connected with it (unless apparently by mere accident), a dumpy 

 tubidar cocoon of sand, smoothly lined with silk, half-an-inch in length, thick as 

 a goose-qudl, tapering to an obtuse point at one end, abruptly and rather irregularly 

 truncated at the other. 



Mr. Barrett sent me the larvte on Juno 11th and 27th, — the moths appeared on 

 June 29th, July 22nd to 21th, 1870. 



Since the foregoing was written I have had the pleasure to receive from Professor 

 Zeller much additional information regarding the habits oi Aneraslia lofella, as well 

 as a translation by himself of his most able and interesting history of the insect 

 published in the Isis for 1848, wherein it appears this species in Germany inhabits 

 barren sandy places and hills, — " the moths sitting by day very closely to stalks of 

 " grasses near the ground, and flying readily only in the evenings and mornings ;" — 

 and the larva is found to feed commonly " on the tufts of Aira canescens, Festuca 

 " ovina, and probably Calamagrostis epigejos and other grasses." 



From the same source I learn that lotella has been more recently described by 

 Dr. Kuhn as an insect destructive to rye, — no less than twenty acres of this cereal, 

 in a sandy field at Hcrzbcrg in Saxony, having been nearly destroyed by it in 1869. 



