THE LIFE HISTORY OF ANCYLIS UNCANA. 125 



■' Few ears have escaped the noise of the death-watch, that 

 is, the Httle clicking sound heard often in many rooms, some- 

 what resembling that of a watch ; and this is conceived to be 

 of an evil omen or prediction of some person's death ; wherein 

 notwithstanding there is nothing of rational presage or just 

 cause of terror unto melancholy and meticulous heads. For 

 this noise is made by a little sheath-winged grey insect, found 

 often in wainscot, benches, and woodwork in the summer. We 

 have taken many thereof, and kept them in thin boxes wherein 

 I have heard and seen them work and knock with a little 

 proboscis against the side of the box, like a picas martins, or 

 woodpecker against a tree. It worketh best in warm weather, 

 and for the most part giveth not over under nine or eleven 

 strokes at a time." (Bohn's Edition of Browne's Works, i, 



p. 210.) (To be contiHued.) 



THE LIFE HISTORY OF ANCYLIS UNCANA. 

 By W. G. Sheldon, F.E.S. 



I HAVE long been puzzled with the earlier stages of this not 

 particularly rare Tortrix. Barrett says: "Larva apparently 

 undescribed. It is said to feed in Ajoril on heather {Calluna 

 vulgaris).'' 



This seemed so improbable a habit for a species of this 

 genus, the early spring larva I mean, coupled with the fact 

 that I have found the imagines abundantly miles away from 

 any heather, that I felt sure there was some mistake, and I have 

 devoted some time for several years to try and work out its 

 life history. 



The imago flies abundantly in May in a portion of Limpsfield 

 Chart, where the only growth consists of bilberry, oak, and 

 birch, but a careful examination of these during July and 

 August, for several years, resulted in my being unable to find 

 traces of a larva which I could consider likely to prove to be 

 that of this species. 



In May last, however, I captuied a number of females, 

 which I confined over the three above-mentioned possible food- 

 plants and C. vulgaris. On the 20th of that month, the 

 imagines being all dead, I examined the plants carefully with 

 a lense, and found on the birch leaves, and on the leaves only, 

 a number of ova, of which I made, on May 23rd, the following 

 description : 



Length, 0-75 mm. ; breadth, 0-72 mm. ; height, 0-28 mm. ; shape 

 oval, surface granular, divided into a number of irregularly-shaped 

 cells by very fine raised lines, highly glabrous and opalescent, 

 micropylar area not visible ; the ova has as is usual amongst the 

 Tortricidte, the polar axis horizontal. 



