NOTES ON EUPITHECI^. 125 



common 31ichaehnas dauij and the mugwortj Artemisia 

 vulgaris. All the larvae on 31ichaelmas daisy died. Two 

 survived on mitgwort. Those on laurustinus flowers are 

 doing pretty well ; on this flower I once before reared a 

 small autumnal brood of this larva. The parent moth was 

 taken at ivy blossom in October. I am sorry to say the little 

 wretches are sad cannibals. I have seen one walking about 

 with the body of another nearly as large as himself in his 

 mouth. I apprehend that after a warm summer there is 

 generally an autumnal brood of this insect, but on what 

 plant the larvae feed I am at a loss to say. Perhaps ivy 

 blossoms may solve the mystery. It may be that out of 

 doors the eggs are deposited on the buds of ash, and remain 

 dormant till the young leaves expand. 



Eiip. pygmceata, Hiib. 

 I have lately had the pleasure of inspecting some most 

 beautiful drawings of GeometrcB and their larvae and food- 

 plants, executed by a continental Entomologist, M. Carl 

 Piotz. This gentleman figures the larva oi'Eup. pygmceata 

 feeding on the leaves, flowers and seeds of Stellaria holostea. 

 It will be worth the while of any Entomologist to examine 

 this plant during the ensuing spring. The larva seems to 

 resemble that o^ E. dehiliata, Hiib. 



Eup. plumheolata, Haw, 

 M. Carl Plotz figures the larva of this insect on the 

 flowers and seeds of some species o^ 3Ielampyruin, apparently 

 M. arvense, L. I hope any of my entomological friends, in 

 whose neighbourhood this plant may happen to grow, will 

 bear me in mind when it is in flower. It would be worth 

 while to sweep and examine every other species of Melampy- 

 rum indigenous to Britain. 



Octoler l%tli, 1864. 



