1895.] 227 



largo and distinct, white, encircled with very dark brown. Ventral area of the same 

 colour as the dorsal surface, but having a pale pinkish stripe extending longitudinally 

 through its centre ; the legs marbled with pale brown like the liead, anal segment 

 and prologs yellowish-brown, the extreme bases of the latter dark chocolate-brown. 

 Judging from my larva) reared from several batches of eggs, this is the least 

 common form. 



Var. II has the ground-colour brown, yellowish, or greyish, strongly marked or 

 marbled with dark brown or red-brown ; the top of the head in those forms having 

 a pale yellow streak, edged above with very dark brown or black, and the head 

 generally being much darker brown than in Var. I ; the warty humps on the 6th 

 and 12th segments are dark chocolate-brown, the tips in some examples being red ; 

 spiracles pale, encircled with very dark brown or black. The ventral surface par- 

 takes of the colouring and marbling of the dorsal area, but the broad central stripe 

 is much more conspicuous than in Var. I ; in some cases it is ochroous-brown, with 

 smoky edging throughout its length ; in others, generally the darkest larvse, the 

 ochreous is interrupted at intervals with patches of darker colouring. The legs and 

 prologs vary so much in the amount and position of the brown on them, that to 

 describe any of them in detail would probably be misleading, so far as concerns the 

 determination of casually captured larvae. 



Feeds on oak and birch, and in captivity also well on sallow. 



By August 23rd nearly all the larvae had disappeared below the surface of the 

 ground, and the moths, a very fine sei'ies, emerged from May IGth to nearly the end 

 of July following. 



Crosland Ilall, Huddorsfield : 



September 12th, 1895. . 



ABUNDANCE OF CULEX DOESALIS* Mo., AT ALDEBURGH. 

 BY A. PIFFAED. 



One of the peculiarities of this pretty seaside town, which never 

 fails to engage the attention of summer visitors, is the presence iu 

 vast numbers of a small species of gnat, which is always busy in doors 

 and out of doors, in shade and even in bright sunshine, in inflicting a 

 bite which has such a virulent effect on those unacclimatized, that but 

 few hours elapse before each new arrival has the " mark of the beast " 

 set on him. 



The species is known by the inhabitants as the " Norway Mosquito," 

 and I ascertained on enquiry that it had been abundant for at any rate 

 the last 25 years. A tradition generally accepted here assigns its 

 introduction to a particular yacht which used to ply between this port 

 and Norway. Curious to know if there was any probability of truth 

 iu this story, I submitted a few specimens to my friend Mr. Austen, 



* CuUx dortalU is iucludud iu Mr. Vorrall's List uf "Reputed liritisli Species." 



T -' 



