70 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



last June, and the latter recently reared by Mr. Meek. Mr. G. 

 Elisha brought for exhibition Polia chi, varieties olivacea and 

 others intermediate between that and the type ; perfectly black 

 Eupithecia rectangulata ; also melanic Diurnea fagclla. Mr. 

 Cooper, a very fine series of varieties of Hybernia defoliaria, 

 taken by himself near London. Mr. Machin showed a box of rare 

 Lepidoptera, including Phycis adelphella, Eupoecilia amhiguana, 

 Argyrolepia maritimana, and Lemnatophila salicella. Mr. T. A. 

 Clark, a series of remarkably large Eupithecia expallidata. Mr. 

 Jones, preserved and living larvae of lepidopterous insects. Mr. 

 South brought an exceedingly interesting box of the Pterophoridce 

 from North Devon and elsewhere : among them were examples of 

 those recently described in this magazine ; the distinctness of his 

 new species, AmhlyptHia tceniadactylus, as compared with Platy- 

 ptilia Zetterstedtii, was noted. Mr. G. Clark sent for exhibition 

 a beautiful series of the rare Crymodes exulis, taken by him 

 last summer in Invernesshire : they were remarkable for the 

 uniformity of type which characterises Scotch examples of this 

 moth, when compared with the very variable form occurring in 

 Iceland.— J. T. C. 



PuLEx Feeding on Lepidopterous Larv^. — Some time ago 

 I visited a seed warehouse, and, seeing a number of larvae feeding 

 on some peas, I took a quantity of them home to examine. I 

 detected amongst them the larvae of (Ecophora pseudospretella 

 and Endrosis fenestrella. Another larva was there which I could 

 not make out. A short time ago, however, the question was 

 solved by the emergence of a number of fleas, apparently Pulex 

 irritans. On closely examining them I found the stomach fluids 

 quite transparent, and not red in colour, as when the lively little 

 torments have fed upon mankind. This fact led me to watch 

 them more closely, with the result that I found them feeding 

 liberally on the juices of the above-mentioned lepidopterous larvae. 

 I gathered some consolation on seeing my lively little friends 

 feeding on two species of larvae, which frequently cause us 

 lepidopterists so much annoyance by in turn feeding on our care- 

 fully stored pupae. I should mention that those larvae which had 

 been attacked by the fleas appeared to pine away and die. I had 

 nothing but peas, fleas, and larvae in the gaUipot, covered with 

 plate-glass, through which I observed this economy of nature. — 

 Chas. J. Boden; 153, Snows Fields, S.E., February 15, 1881. 



