286 



THE NATUEALIST. 



seeking for a needle in the bottle of 

 hay." For though the result when 

 accomplished is of a more pleasing 

 kind — namely the bagging the game 

 ■ — ^you are in utter uncertainty as to 

 when " the find " may be, until the 

 insect is verily in full view : and 

 should it happen that a dozen tons 

 of stones are turned over before the 

 lucky moment arrives, the Entomo- 

 logist must not give up the search 

 hopelessly — patience and persever- 

 ance will be well rewarded in the 

 end. Finally I have to observe, for 

 the information of our Entomologi- 

 cal friends in Yorkshire and else- 

 where, I believe that where there 

 are quarries, especially in high lo- 

 calities, D. Temidi may be found 

 from the 1st of October for at least 

 two months. Turn over every stone 

 carefully, examining the under side 

 and the ends, until you are favoured 

 with the sight of D. TempU, just as 

 he lives at home. One introduction 

 will reveal to you nearly all you 

 need to know, at least for general 

 purposes. The larva is an internal 

 feeder from May to August upon the 

 various Spondylia, and I presume 

 other plants with pithy roots and 

 stems. I hope to be able to take 

 some little trouble this coming 

 spring to prove this latter (pithy 

 roots and stems) which, if success- 

 ful, shall be in due course made 

 known. Any further information 

 that I can give for the pleasure or 



enlightenment of others, who dare 

 venture a pioneering, will be gladly 

 supplied on application. — J. John- 

 son, Denby Parsonage, Dec, 1864. 



Dasypolia Templi. — During the 

 two last months of November and 

 December, I have met with speci- 

 mens of this interesting insect, 

 chiefly females, somewhat abundant- 

 ly in this neighbourhood. After 

 diligent search in various places, 

 the insect was discovered in its 

 usual habitats, among the loose 

 stones of quarries, under the same by 

 the roadside, and in heaps of stones 

 in different situations, but for the 

 most part in high localities. As my 

 personal acquaintance with I). Tem- 

 joli is so recent and imperfect, I am 

 not able to add anything respecting 

 its habits that may not be already 

 known to most readers of " The 

 Naturalist." — J. Collins, Shepley 

 Parsonage, Huddersfield, Jan. 2nd, 

 1865. 



The abundance of LarvcB in 1864. — 

 This has been a very productive 

 year for insects of all kinds. Larvse 

 have been swarming on almost every 

 tree and bush. The jet black cater- 

 pillars of F. lo and those of V. UrticcB 

 might have been swept off by hun- 

 dreds from the nettles, and every 

 gardener can testify to the super- 

 abundance of those belonging to 

 Brassicm and Rajm. The hawthorn 

 hedges and spindle trees have been 

 covered with hundreds of liammocks 



