218 THE kntomologist's ukcokd. 



all darker and more richly marked than our Middlesex specimens. A 

 few days later two Leiicania alhipuncta were seen, and Adela /ibiilella 

 was not rare about veronica blossoms. Early in May the webs of 

 H i/ponn)nc'i(ta jdniiibellus were seen on spindle. Though there were ants 

 on the bushes they did not enter the larval webs. Ants were almost 

 everywhere. Scarcely a tree trunk or bush was without them. I think 

 they must destroy numbers of young larvae, as caterpillars wer? very 

 scarce, except Coleophorids and Psychids. I saw larvae of the latter 

 on tree trunks among ants. Whenever an ant touched a larva the 

 latter promptly brought the edge of its case down on to the bark, thus 

 protecting itself, and the ant then took no further notice of it. The 

 leaves of the trees and bushes showed scarcely any signs of larval 

 attack, but blight was now and then to be noticed. This was probably 

 useful to the numerous ants. The snail-like cases of Crinojderij.r fa)ni- 

 liella were not uncommon on Ciatiis, and I noticed six species of the 

 genus Coleophora. Cases of ('. liiuosipennella on elm in a hedge; a 

 dark brown species, caught on the wing, with a broad white subdorsal 

 stripe and white antennae, the basal third thickened with scales, and 

 another kind, also on the wing, with ochreous stripes. The fourth 

 species seen was common in the larval state, mining the leaves of 

 Silene nutans. The case was straight and pale in colour. I bred a few 

 moths which were blackish fuscous in colour with several narrow 

 whitish stripes. On the last mentioned plant I saw a large, straight, 

 flattish case, evidently belonging to another species. Above Bellagio, 

 on the opposite side of the lake, I found cases on Astrai/altm sp. ? 

 These were formed of whitish n^ined portions of the leaves and were 

 laterally compressed. The forewings of the resulting imagines were 

 pale ochreous with two silvery white stripes. There was on the way 

 to Cadenabbia a small electric light, which was very attractive to 

 Lepidoptera. I always looked up when passing it. I saw Lycia (Iliston) 

 hiitaria and other Geometers resting on the grey wall just above the 

 light. On May 14th I looked up as usual and saw two huge Saturnia 

 p'jyi. This species was seen again later. A few weeks afterwards a 

 specimen of Saturnia cij)itliia was brought to me alive, but dilapidated. 

 It was said to have been taken in the garden. If so, then the species 

 may have acclimatised itself in the place in the same way as it has 

 done in certain districts round Paris. July 1st, a fresh specimen of 

 Oflouestis jniini flew in to the light. It is said to be rare, and it was 

 the only one seen. The first of the Deltoidina and Pyralidina seen 

 was our familiar Hi/pena roatralis, and then Pi/ralis fariiial'is. On 

 June 1st, a Crambus flew into the room and next morning it proved 

 to be a fresh specimen of the mountain species C. unjdlus. The next 

 day Mcri/na poli/i/onalia was found entangled in an old spider web. It 

 was alive and not much damaged. On June 18th, I saw the first 

 ('rainbiis ciatcrellns. Strangely this was the most common species of 

 the genus round Tremezzo. It haunted the herbage in the gorges 

 behind the town. In the same places the pretty Eii.raiit/iis -.oriiana 

 was not rare, but the Tortricina were not abundant. At J>ellagio I 

 noticed I IcDiimoie al}ii)iaua and Dic/noraiiipha pt'tivcidla about 

 Ar/tillea. In July I noticed mines of Bedellia wmnuleiitella in con- 

 volvulus, and those of Xt^ptinila plaf/icolella in sloe. 



The usual Rhopalocera were late in appearing, and /'/Vr/.s bra.ssirae 

 was by fai' the most abundant species. As the species inhabiting 



