280 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



grass-seeds, as is so often stated. Whether any insect parasites 

 limit the numbers of the "hill-grub," I am quite unaware, but I 

 know that Ichneumon latmtor, F., is often very abundant in 

 places infested by C. graminis. 



There seems to be an idea that the larvae of C. gramims are 

 unusually late this year, but I hardly think there is any ground 

 for this beUef. Until the notion was suggested by a corre- 

 spondent, .my belief was that the larvfe of C. graminis were 

 really somewhat earlier than usual. Since early in June I have 

 constantly seen these larvae both at large amongst the herbage, 

 and in numerous lots in boxes gathered and sent, or brought, to 

 me for identification. In all cases there were larvfe in all stages, 

 from quite small ones that had, so to speak, just emerged from 

 the hybernating stage, right up to the large, sleek, and shining, 

 fellows hard and wiry to tlie touch, that seemed about to undergo 

 the perils of pupation. During the morning hours they seem to 

 me to lie quiet, bidden low down amongst the culms of grass. 

 By 10 or 11 o'clock they get on the move, and in places where 

 they are abundant the sound they make in crawling through, 

 amongst and over the grass-stems, some moving about, others 

 munching their food, is very distinctly audible. To the eye the 

 whole of the herbage seems in motion. This movement amongst 

 the larvfB continues till late in the afternoon, when it quietens 

 down to a very great extent. A friend of mine, who, towards the 

 end of June, was walking along a moorland road in Carsphairn 

 early in the afternoon, feeling a little fatigued, sat down for a 

 rest against an overhanging bank that bounded the roadway. 

 He had no sooner sat down than he became aware of a seething 

 mass of caterpillars at the bottom of the bank, that was con- 

 tinuall}' being added to by a constant dropping of individuals 

 from the overhanging bank above. To confirm his observation 

 my friend brought me a box containing several hundreds of 

 these larvae. 



When at large the larvae like best to feed on that portion of 

 the grass-stems that grows at the level of the ground. The voles 

 fed very much on the same part of the grass. And in both 

 instances the stems and general masses, becoming thus detached, 

 got blown away in bunches and swathes of brown withered hay, 

 giving the knolls and hillsides a bare and desolate appearance 

 that can be detected at a great distance away. The species of 

 grass and other plants that are most affected are deer's hair 

 {Scirpus ccEspitosus), spret {Jiuicus articulatiis), bent grass {Agrostis 

 vnlgaris), blaw grass [Molinia ccEridca), wire bent grass {Xardus 

 stricta), hair grass {Aira casjyitosa), rough-stalked meadow grass 

 {Poa trivialis), midge grass {Holciis lanatus), cotton grass {Erio- 

 phorum vaginatum), stool bent (Juncus squarrosus). Although I 

 give these as the kinds of grass usually eaten, I question very 

 much whether the larvae have really any marked preferences, for 



