70 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Food-Plants of Gonepteryx Rhamni. — In reply to Mr. 

 Edward A. Fitch (Entom. viii. 302), I may say that there is 

 no more difficulty in obtaining the leaves of the apple and 

 pear tree in Wales than there is in finding the Welsh lan- 

 guage there ; but the question is, are these the natural food- 

 plants of Gonepteryx Rhamni in Great Britain? Mr. Fitch 

 says the larvae will eat apple, pear, and medlar : he may 

 have bred the species upon these plants, or he may have 

 obtained his information from Kaltenbach's ' Pflanzenfeinde,' 

 where medlar and the " Pyrus-arten" are given, besides the 

 buckthorns, on the authority of De Geer. Still I shall be 

 glad to hear if any entomologist has ever found the eggs or 

 taken the larvae from either of these trees in this country. 

 If so, it will satisfactorily account for the appearance of the 

 butterfly in Carmarthenshire. In support of Mr. Fitch's 

 theory, it is also interesting to know that Kaltenbach in the 

 same work gives almost the same additions to the food-plants 

 of Lycaena Argiolus. I have generally understood the food- 

 plants of this butterfly to be confined to holly, ivy, and the 

 two buckthorns. Kaltenbach does not mention either holly 

 or ivy as food-plants of the "holly blue," but, quoting from 

 De Geer, gives R. Rhamni and R. Frangula (De Geer, i. thl. 

 8 Abh. pp. 62 — 65), and continues to say, that "later observers 

 have found the larvae on medlar and apple." Can any of 

 your readers substantiate tliis statement ? If so I shall be 

 very glad to hear from them, either through the medium of 

 your columns or otherwise. — Owen Wilson; Carmarthen. 



The LarvcB of Arctiafuliginosa* (Entom. ix. 42). — I have 

 perused with much interest Mr. Eccles' letter with regard to 

 the injury done to his firm's linen, and would offer a iew 

 suggestions for the removal of the damaging agent. I notice 

 Mr. Eccles desires to be informed how to get rid of the eggs. 

 This, I think, is a mistake, as the real enemy is the cater- 

 pillar; and, besides, that is the most tangible object to 

 proceed against. Now, the next thing to be considered is 

 what measures should be adopted for their destmction. I 

 would suggest that Mr. Eccles should employ some boys for 

 a few days about the middle of April to collect these cater- 

 pillars, paying them so much per hundred for all they 

 collect. This would not, I think, be a very difficult task, as 

 * Erroueously printed "rubigiuosa" in the February number. — E. Neiomaii. 



