92 [September, 



to thrive, till at last I put plenty of the plant in a large box, without any covering, 

 before the greenhouse window, open night and day, I never disturbed them, and did 

 not know whether I should breed any or not ; however, seven gorgeous specimens 

 have emerged. On the 21th of July, I was on a pleasure excursion, and having four 

 hours to spare, I took a splendid large specimen quite unexpectedly, in fact I could 

 not realize what I had in my net, it was such a great surprise. I paid other visits, 

 but to no purpose. One extraordinai-y thing about the larvae of reticulata is that I 

 never had any ichneumons come from them ; last year I sent J. E. Fletcher two 

 ichneumons with very long antennae that I found among the plant. My own series 

 being already full (16), I shall have some fur my friends. — J. B. Hodgkinson, 

 6, Fishergate Hill, Preston : Atigust I2tk, 1885. 



Ochsenheimerla vaccidella. — How does the larva live 1 — Lately, I had sent to 

 me for determination by Dr. W. H. Lowe some specimens of this insect, with the 

 following note on them : — 



"Last year, whilst walking in Richmond Park, T came across a rotten crab-tree, 

 and by breaking up the wood, I found betAveen the lamina a lazy grey moth ; it 

 would not fly, but would only creep from one crevice to anothei*. To-day (July 

 17th, 1885), in company with Robert Logan, I visited the rotten crab-tree, and found 

 the same species of moth in good condition, but, as before, unwilling to leave its 

 domicile." 



Mr. Logan being here about three weeks afterwards, I asked him to send me 

 a note, embodying his own observations as to this insect. They are as follows : — 



On the 17th July, I saw Dr. Lowe take several fine specimens of Ochsenheimerla 

 vaccidella from under the bark of an old crab-tree in Richmond Park. They did 

 not seem to be anxious to get away, but sidled into the corners of the box, so that 

 several could be put in at once. There was no long vegetation of any kind near, 

 nothing but the shortest of turf ; and the presumption seems to be, that the larvae 

 had fed in the decayed wood, like those of CEcophora sulphurella. — R. F. Logan : 

 August I2th, 1885. 



I also asked Mr. Beaumont, who had lately taken the insect for a note of his 

 capture : 



On the third of Augrst, when searching for beetles, I found two Ochsenheimeria 

 vacculella under the baric of a large willow at Lewisham. — Alfred Beaumont, 30, 

 Lady well Park, Lewisham : August 6th, 1885. 



I may add, that since the above note was written, Mr. Beaumont has handed 

 me several other specimens from under the bark of the willow tree. 



I have collated the following published notices of this insect : — 



During the past season I took three specimens of this scarce species. The first 

 beneath the bark of a willow tree, the last on the trunk of an oak tree, at Leather- 

 head.— J. Scott : January 9th, IStU. Intelligencer IX, p. 123, 1861. 



Sometimes found early in July on windows in houses. The suspicion formerly 

 entertained that it fed on rotten wood, seems, now that the larval habits of 

 O. taurella are known, improbable.— A. Rosslek. Schmett. v. Nassau, p. 214, No. 

 1286, 1866. 



