272 [Maj 



but i£ I mistake not, there are exceptions. Fritz Miiller says, wit 

 regard to the Hydroptilidce of the Brazils, that they include the vaoi 

 varied and remarkable larval cases ; and I believe that even our ow 

 species when thoroughly known, will be found to have cases of mos 

 diversified structures, and habits of the greatest interest. 



Carluke, N.B. : 



March 8th, 1886. 



THE LIFE-HISTORY OF NONAQRIA BREVILINEA. 

 BT W. H. B. FLETCHER, M.A., T.E.S. 



m 



This curiously local moth was discovered in the Norfolk Fens ir 

 1864, by Mr. Fenn (Ent. Mo. Mag., i, p. 107), but, I think, little oi 

 nothing has as yet been published about its earlier stages. In April. 

 1880, Mr. E. G. Meek told me that he bred two specimens the sum- 

 mer before from larvae taken among those of Leucania straminea and 

 other species. He added that they were external feeders, and, I 

 believe, on various plants ; but of the latter point I am not quite sure. 

 Thanks to the untiring kindness and great liberality of Mr. E. ]).' 

 Wheeler, of Norwich, I am now able to give some further particulars^ 

 of the life-history. 



On July 30th, 1884, I received by parcel post from Mr. Wheelerr 

 six females taken by him in Eanworth Fen. The next day, a very hott 

 one, was spent in moving from Worthing to Deal. No wonder thatt 

 after two long journeys in such weather my friend's kindness only, 

 just escaped being in vain ! However, eight eggs were laid by a fine?! 

 specimen of the form " sme/mea." They were laid singly, and were) 

 very loosely glued to the lining of a band-box. They were of the ) 

 usual Noctua shape, and ribbed in both directions. They were at first t 

 of a very pale cream colour, after a few days of an equally light pink, , 

 and in the middle of April, 1885, they assumed a dull purple hue. 



The larvae began to hatch towards the end of the month. All but 1 

 one died before the right food-plant was hit upon. Phints of many 

 Natural Orders, including several grasses, were offered in vain. One • 

 larva took up its natural position on the leaf of a small Carex, and ate j 

 a few mouthfuls, but no more. It and six of its fellows died after a k 

 few days' life. The last larva was hatched on May 6th, and was t 

 placed in a lamp-chimney with some shoots of Arundo phragmites. I . 

 soon had good evidence that it had entered the stem of one of the 

 reeds just above the point where an unfolding leaf diverged from the 



