general remarks. 127 



General Remarks. 

 The following descriptions have been taken during the last 

 two years and a half from living larvae in my own possession ; 

 and with the exception of Pumilataj the larvae of which 

 have been reared from eggs kindly sent me by Mr. Hellins 

 of Exeter, and from a ? taken by myself in the Isle of 

 Wight, I have taken every species with my own hands. In 

 some of the earlier descriptions reprinted from the Zooloo-ist 

 I am conscious of many defects in word-painting, a work 

 which reqinres long practice to ensure anything like perfection. 

 These faults I must trust to the indulgence of my readers to 

 overlook. If the publication of these imperfect observations 

 shall be the means of stirring up other Entomologists to a 

 more diligent search after the larvae, and a closer study of 

 the habits of this most interesting genus, I shall consider 

 myself more than amply repaid for any trouble I have taken. 

 I am persuaded that much yet remains to be done. I have, 

 in addition to those below described, discovered and taken 

 descriptions of the larva, and bred the perfect insect of two 

 species new to the British lists. These descriptions would have 

 long since been given to the public, had it not been for various 

 unfortunate delays, and the difficulty of procuring specimens 

 of all the continental species for comparison. I hope, how- 

 ever, ere long, to satisfy the impatience of my readers. It 

 seems probable, also, that we have two distinct British spe- 

 cies confounded under the name of Suhmnhrata, the insect 

 I bred here being apparently different from the continental 

 Suhumhrata, and the species taken in Cambridgeshire and 

 elsewhere. I hope, during the ensuing summer, with the 

 assistance of those gentlemen who are in the habit of taking 

 this insect, to set this point at rest. I am also inclined to 

 think that another British species exists, intermediate between 



