1887.] 9 



but I propose to adopt his name, because if I do not some other wiseacre will, and 

 we may as well get over Ihe difficulty at once. Perhaps there will be no harm in 

 allowing British entomologists to have an occasional taste of that perennial fount of 

 synonymy which springs from the British Museum Catalogues. — E. Metrick, 

 Kamsbury : 3Iay 10th, 1887. 



Description of the larva of Ephestiaficella. — On May 2l8t last (1886) I received 

 several larvse of this species from Mr. W. G-. Pearce, of London. Length about 

 three-eighths of an inch ; head small, a little narrower than the second segment, and 

 is, along with the frontal and small anal plate, polished ; body obese and cylindrical, 

 but flattened a little ventrally, it tapers very slightly posteriorly, but more strongly 

 towards the head ; skin glossy and smooth, though the segmental divisions and 

 slight transverse depressions on the segments give to it a rather puckered appearance. 

 Ground-colour greyish- white, strongly tinged with pink ; head brown ; mandibles 

 and frontal plate darker sienna-brown ; the pulsating dorsal vessel shews through 

 the skin as a dorsal stripe of a darker grey than the ground-colour ; there are no 

 perceptible sub-dorsal or spiracular stripes ; tubercles brown and conspicuous. 

 Ventral surface, legs and prolegs yellowish-white. Feeds on dried figs, raisins, 

 currants, &c. I bred two moths only, the first on July 22nd, the other not appearing 

 until September 6th.— Geo. T. Poeeitt, Huddersfield : May llth, 1887. 



Thecla qttercfis zoith an orange spot on each fore-wing. — On the 1st of August, 

 1874, in the County of Norfolk, I sat for an hour or more in the top of an oak tree for the 

 purpose of taking Thecla querc4s. Of five which I then netted one female has near 

 the centre of each fore-wing (upper surface) an orange spot about the twelfth of an 

 inch long. This spot is of a wedge shape with angles rounded off. It lies between 

 the centre of the wing and the costa, and its small end points towards the tip of the 

 wing. 1 possess a second specimen of this species of the same sex with a similar but 

 much less distinct spot, probably caught at the same time, but I did not notice its 

 faint spot in time to be sure of its date and locality. These specimens remind me of 

 Thecla betulcB and of Thecla w-album, though in bettilcs the spot is much larger, 

 and in w-album it is smaller than in my quercus. — Feank Noegatb, Downham, 

 Brandon, Suffolk : April 22nd, 1887. 



[The above appears to refer to the var. bellus, Gerhard, which has been recorded 

 from Hurgaiy and probably Switzerland. — Eds.]. 



The larva of Notodonta torva. — I have been in the habit of rearing Notodonta 

 torva for the last four or five years, and I can testify to the accuracy of Mr. Barrett's 

 description of the larva. It is a dull edition of N. ziczac, exactly resembling it in 

 form, but the colour being that of a soiled white kid glove shaded with a dark leaden 

 tinge. It is hardy, feeds well on poplar generally, and is easily reared, having, in 

 common with most of the Notodontcs, sometimes one, sometimes two broods in the 

 year. Mr. Buckler's figures of N. ziczac are taken from rather dingy larvse, often 

 the colouring being very vivid, and the orange hue of the tail portion really lovely 

 in its tint. It is impossible, however, to speak too highly of the figures of the 

 NotodontidcB in this second volume. I am familiar with every one except Notodonta 

 cucullina, and there are only two larvse which I cannot entirely realize, as if the 



