182 THK entomologist's record. 



duce abundance oi L'oleophora fusccdineUa. Among them a (javpful 

 search will produce the cases of two other species, the much darii-er, 

 less bulky, case of ('. hudiipennella, and the longer, more compressed 

 case of V. limonpcnneUa. The case .of the last species can never be 

 mistaken for that of either of the others as its anal opening is two- 

 valved and not three- as they are. This species also occurs on birch. 

 but its case is then much more slender and fragile. 



11. — If one meets with patches of Kupatoriuni camiabininii , they are 

 worth going over to ascertain if Cnlenji/iora trot/lydotella is feeding on 

 the leaves. The plants are found under the shelter of the cliffs in 

 some coast localities. 



:^!^OTES ON COLLECTING, Etc. 



Notes on Plusia muneta. — Towards the end of April, 1908. 1 

 noticed that a large plant of helphinium had several of the terminal 

 buds drawn together, and, upon parting them, found in each two or 

 three small larvae, green in colour with brown heads, and on each 

 segment three or four brown tubercles emitting hairs ; thinking from 

 this and their wriggling habits that they were the larvse of some Micro- 

 lepidopteron, I took away only two or three, with two larger larvae that 

 were very different in appearance, and that 1 hoped were those of 

 Plusia moneta. After keeping them about a week or ten days I was 

 surprised to see that the smaller larvae had become identical in appear- 

 ance with the larger ones. I consequently commenced to search in 

 earnest for the larvfe, taking all I found, both small and large. Having 

 access to a nursery (containing a large bed of delphiniums), and several 

 large flower-gardens, I was able to obtain in all from thirty to forty 

 larvffi, which fed up in my breeding-cage. For that purpose I use a 

 horticultural bell-glass, inverted and fixed with plaster-of-Paris in a 

 wooden stand, the top being covered with mineralised tiffany. I reared 

 all the larvae in one cage, as I found that the larvffi emerged from the 

 ova continuously over a considerable period and not all at the same 

 time. I found my first full-grown larva3 on May 1st, the first pupation 

 took place on May 16th, and on June 16th the first emergence. The 

 full-grown larva is about an inch long, the head, pro- and meso- 

 thoracic segments being retractile, the colour light green excepting for 

 a white lateral stripe. When ready to pupate the larva spins a shuttle- 

 shaped cocoon on the underside of a leaf ; in confinement the larvae often 

 used the sides of the cage and the tiffany, in many instances several 

 being joined and somewhat overcrowding one another. The cocoon when 

 first spun is pure white, the larva after completion lining it W'ith a 

 golden colour, sometimes very pale, sometimes almost orange. In a 

 state of nature my experience points to the interesting fact that, while 

 the larva before it casts off' its micro-like appearance lives gregariously in 

 a net, drawing together the terminal bud of the foodplant, it afterwards 

 feeds singly, and, as it grows, descends from the plant, finally pupating 

 under the lower leaves. The habit seems connected with a certain 

 amount of protection, for, as the delphinium grows taller, its lower 

 leaves turn deep yellow and die, hence one meets great difficulty in find- 

 ing the cocoons, owing to their colour being identical with the dying 

 leaf; out of twelve or fourteen cocoons found, only, I think, two were 

 on an upper or green leaf. On June 16th the first imago appeared. 



