100 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Eggs of Scoria dealbata. — Mr. Jeffrey, so well known for 

 his discovery of ihe life-history of Dasypolia Templi, has 

 just returned from Ashford, in Kent, where he has had 

 an opportunity of studying the habits of Scoria dealbata, now 

 on the wing : this species is diurnal in its flight, and he 

 >vatched the female laying her eggs on the stems and leaves 

 of grasses; the species generally selected for this purpose 

 appears to be Brachypodium sylvaticum, and the eggs are 

 laid lengthwise, sometimes singly, but more ol'ten four, five, 

 six, or even seven, placed end to end, and adhering to each 

 other in a necklace or chain form ; their shape is that of a 

 brick with rounded corners, and having a deep and wide de- 

 pression on the upper and under surface ; there is also a 

 smaller concavity at one end ; the colour when first laid is 

 pale ochreons, becoming deeper yellow and even orange 

 before many days. 1 mistook this orange-colour for the 

 original colour when deposited, and so described it both in 

 the 'Entomologist' and ' British Moths," but now find this 

 was a mistake, which I hasten to rectify. — E. Newman. 



CJieimatohla brumata {The Wi/iter Moth). — An opinion 

 prevails among gardeners that some of the less mature winter 

 moths remain in the ground till spring, and then come forth 

 and deposit eggs. Can any of your readers inform me if this 

 is the case ? My plantations were watched every third or 

 fourth night through April and part of March, and none dis- 

 covered. Last year I tried, on rather a large scale, if digging 

 round and among fruit trees in July and August would lessen 

 the number of winter moths, by disturbing the pupae in their 

 earth chambers, exposing them to birds and insects, and to 

 too much or too little moisture ; but the portions of the 

 plantation so treated have been as much infested with the 

 caterpillar as the portions dug in the winter. — /t. Varden ; 

 Sea/'ord Grange, near Pershore, June 10, 1868. 



Erastria venustnla in Epping Forest. — While collecting 

 in Epping Forest on May 27th, I captured a few fine speci- 

 mens of Erastria venustula. — A. Woodage ; 9, East Street, 

 Goldsmith Roic, Hackney Road, N.E. 



LarV(B of Bornhyx castrensis. — I send yon this morning, 

 by our messenger, a few larvae of B. castrensis. For the last 

 two years I have been very successful in rearing them in my 

 garden on the chrysanthemums. 1 cover the plant with a 



