i88r.] 41 



venosa, Selys (ISii), which I have siuce recognised as identical with sabellicce, 

 Stephens (see Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1859, Bulletin, p. xcii), so that Stephens' name 

 has priority ; this variety is intermediate between the typical form and the var. 

 bryonicB. — E. DB Selts-Longchamps, Liege, Belgium : June 6ih, 1887. 



Abundance of the larvee of Abraxas grossttlariata. — Latterly I became aware 

 that some gooseberry-bushes were becoming bare of leaves, and I suspected the larvee 

 of Nematus ribesii of having caused the damage, as on former occasions ; but a slight 

 inspection was enough to show they were not the culprits, the plea of alibi was 

 I admitted, and they wei'e honourably acquitted. The real raiders stood confessed 

 and unabashed in the form of the larvae of Abraxas grossulariata in such numbers 

 that some of the bushes had nothing left on them but leaf-stalks, the devourers had 

 then mostly migrated to other gooseberry-bushes, which were being fast reduced to 

 the same condition, and the hordes were advancing to devour the leaves of adjacent 

 currant-bushes. This was too much for me, and, like a celebrated living statesman 

 who, when he is angry and wishes to relieve his feelings, proceeds to " smash 

 something," I determined to adopt his plan of action, and smash these marauders : 

 so I beat the bush and killed with a spud all the multitude that fell ; yet, after 

 1! continued vigorous thrashing, the cry was, still they come. And, after all, there 

 !j were some — fine, fat fellows — that must have been directors of the company, that 

 CI were the last to leave the plunder, and now came swinging gently by a delicate cord, 

 I suggesting an evasion of their responsibilities and punishment by a suspense-account. 

 But inexorable fate was against them : I acted Atropos, and cut their thread of life, 

 without the shears. Yet I am sure some of the wretches escaped, for several days 

 afterwards I saw some in situ, that from their fair, sleek appearance, were deserving 

 of being deemed survivors of the fittest. Notwithstanding their soft, refined looks, 

 they were hardened sinners, for where the earth on wliich they fell was soft, they 

 bore a good blow without apparent injury. This episodial echenillage may serve as a 

 fresh instance of the well-known facts, that a vast swarm of the larvee of a species 

 may be congregated in a small space and prosper there in spite of winter-like 

 weather ; and also that in the previous year the parent moths were very scarce in 

 that restricted region. — J. W. Douglas, 8, Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : June 

 3rd, 1887. 



P.S. — Since the foregoing was written I have discovered that I had been aided 

 by unseen friends in my endeavours to get rid of the caterpillars, for I have just 

 found about a dozen of the black-banded cocoons of the Hymenopterous parasite, 

 Casinaria vidua, openly attached to the bare twigs of the currant and gooseberry 

 bushes. Adjacent to them were the empty skins of the larvse of Abraxas, out of 

 which the parasitic larvse had come, after serving their private ends and ruining 

 their hosts. These sappers and miners have now left their cover and show them- 

 selves fearlessly in their true though not final colours, for they will change their 

 uniform on promotion to their ultimate rank and condition. — June IQth, 1887- 



Coleophora Miihligiella. — I notice in the June number of the Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 p. 14, Mr. Stainton has described a Coleophora under tliis name. Unfortunately 

 there is already a species of that genus which was named Muehligella by Wocke 



1) 



