22 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



yards of heather at a glance, nothing but hordes of gnats and, 

 more terrible, "midges" were visible. Respecting these 

 " midges," I should like to know their scientific name,* which, 

 if in accordance with their habits, must be of terrible signifi- 

 cance: blood they will have; even tobacco-smoke being a 

 questionable remedy. The best way to avoid their attentions 

 is to apply neat whiskey constantly to the face and neck with 

 a handkerchief. Comparatively scanty, however, as were the 

 results of the journey, we obtained the real object of the 

 visit, viz. a few Elachista serricorneUa : about sixteen were 

 obtained by very assiduously sweeping a small reddish 

 Carex growing in wet places on the peat, five of which fell 

 to my share. Tlie man who gets this insect deserves it, for 

 truly no more heart-breaking pursuit can be imagined. 

 Amongst deep heather — on very rough ground, which here 

 and there becomes wet bog — we swept for hours, with 

 nothing to divert our attention, as, excepting the " midges" 

 and hosts of migrating winged ants, {q\n insects inhabit the 

 same locality as SerricorneUa. Schrankia turfosalis, Cramhus 

 margaritellus, and Pterophorus Bertranii, were taken at 

 the same time, along with Coleophora iherinella. At the 

 plantation the beautiful longhorn, Nemotois miniinella, was 

 to be found sparingly, about three dozens falling to our joint 

 efforts. In company with it was Gelecliia senectella and 

 G. sufiilella, Dicrorampha consortana and D. acuminatana, 

 with the "pearl" Rivnla sericealis, &.c. One morning 

 was spent on some broken ground, covered with small 

 rocks, where Cnephasia penziana, EniiycJiia cingulalis, 

 Herhula cespitalis, Crambus pinetellus, and Elachista 

 disptmctella, occur. Some green Tortrix larva3 were found 

 in seeds and leaves of columbine {Aquilegia vulgaris), 

 from which we have since bred C/iephasia lepidana, 

 although we believe these larvae only crept into the seeds to 

 change to the pupa state; and, as many pupse are still alive 

 .amongst the dried plants, we expect something else to turn 

 out in spring. A Coleophora, with a long, bent, brownish 

 case, found on birch (possibly C. Wilkinsonella), and a 

 minute Elachista, still puzzle us: the latter is assignable 



* The " midges," there cau be little doubt, were a siiecies of Culex, — 

 vei'itable mosqnitos, — prdmbly Culex detritus, whicli is on the wing during 

 the day, frequently in multitudes, as is also C. annulutus. — F. S. 



