206 [February, 



When full-fed, the larva leaves the catkin, and makes a white cocoon, in which 

 it changes to pupa. I imagine that naturally the cocoon is placed in a crack on the 

 bark of the tree. I have not been able to supply it with anything which has seemed 

 congenial to it, for when it wants to change it ascends : if in a bottle, it will crawl 

 about the top ; if the bottle is corked, it will most likely eat into or up the end of 

 the cork. The plan which I found most successful was when the larvse were nearly 

 full-fed, to tie the catkins up in a small linen bag, or piece of rag, and hang it up. 

 The larvae would then spin up in the folds of the rag near the top. It is better to 

 leave them alone until the moths are expected, when the string may be untied, and 

 a small piece of rag cut out with each cocoon attached. These can then be placed 

 in a covered jar, or something convenient to observe when the moths emerge. 



These notes are not so complete as I might be able to make them next year, but 

 they may be of use to those who wish to breed the insects. At the time I began 

 writing them out, I thought it would be another year before I could obtain any 

 further information on the subject, but on visiting some alders on the 9th of Novem- 

 ber, I found the catkins already eaten. In the few catkins I took home, I found I 

 had three full-grown larvse, which I have scarcely a doubt are BrocJceella. These 

 all spun up in the course of the next week. A week later I got more larvae, all were 

 full-fed. This spring I only found BrocTceeUa on birch, but if I am correct in 

 remembrance of the larva, it is, therefore, also an alder-feeder, and, like Gcedartella, 

 the individuals on alder are earlier than those on birch. From an examination of a 

 number of bunches of catkins, I imagine each larva. requires thx'ee or four catkins to jl 

 complete its growth. On the 9th of November, when I first got them, they were 

 very active and eating voraciously. A change to colder weather made them as jl 

 sluggish as the specimens I found in the birch in Februaiy. At present I cannot 

 find anything in the birch catkins, but quite a small larva, which I believe to be 

 quite-an early stage of A. Gcedartella. — Alfred Balding, Wisbech : Nov. 21st, 1884. 



Coleojjhora vihicigerella. — During last autumn I collected on the Essex salt- 

 marshes about 30 cases of a Coleophora, which I am strongly inclined to believe will I 

 produce the above species ; it is a long curved black case, rather flattish, about Qu\i<^^ 

 lines in length at present, the upper half of the case thin and narrow, and thejLuj,^ 

 lower half very much bellied, in general appearance resembling the small cases off 



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C. conspicnella, but rather thinner and longer ; they were feeding on Artemisia 

 maritima, and are exceedingly local ; I only found them in one particular spot 

 although I searched many other places in the immediate vicinity for them. I found 

 four or five of these same cases in the autumn of 1883, but forgetting all about them 

 the following spring they of course died through wanting the necessary food, bul 

 this year I hope to give a more satisfactory account of the larva which I have ai 

 present hibernating. 



I also found at the same time and place a few cases of a Coleophora, in shapi 

 like paripenella, but of a very light colour and a little larger, they also were feedinj 

 on Artemisia maritima, what they are, or whether they will prove to be nev\( 

 remains to be seen, they are at present fastened to the gauze-top of the cage, but thij initio, 

 long thin black cases are all fixed to the main stems of the food-plant.— GEcI^^tlij 

 Elisha, Shepherdess Walk, City Road, N. : January, 1885. m^ 



I 



