326 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



'Entomologist' for July, 1868 (No. 55), I gave an account of 

 two thread or cotton-worms ejected from a larva of Liparis 

 monacha. I have now the satisfaction of giving fiirlhcr 

 proofs, which leave but little doubt that larvae are frequently 

 attacked by this singular creature. Last June I had a 

 number of the larvae of Hoporina croceago, and lost several 

 from the attacks of the thread-worm, of which I had some 

 eight or nine. Their length was from six to eight inches, 

 and they live but a few hours after being ejected from the 

 larva. Mr. Purdey, of Folkestone, informed me that he look 

 a nest of the larvae of Hyponomeuta padella, and to his sur- 

 prise, when he looked for the larvae, they had transmuted into 

 a niass of small thread-worms, leaving the skins of the larvaj 

 only : I had the pleasure of seeing the worms and larva- 

 skins. I have also heard of other instances of thread-worms 

 coming from larvae. The problem is, in what stage do these 

 worms first appear in the larva ? — can it be in the egg slate, 

 as is the case with the ichneumon when it attacks larvae ? 

 Could this be solved it would add another scrap to Science. 

 F. O. Standhh ; Seplemher, 1809. 



Pine-sJiools destroyed by Hyhirytis. — Every grower of 

 conifers must have been struck this summer with the un- 

 wonted a])pearance of the young and immature shoots of all 

 oiu- larger pines ; instead of that erect and vigorous growth 

 which indicate health, the top of each shoot has become 

 flaccid, and has bent over, presenting an appearance that 

 some of my correspondents have compared to the nodding 

 plumes on a hearse. 1 have received specimens from Saw- 

 bridgeworlh, Waltham Abbey, Hertford, With^y, Haslemere 

 and Petworlh. In every instance I have laid open one or 

 more of the shoots, and have invariably found a small 

 blackish beetle gnawing his way upwards along the very 

 centre of the shoot: this is Hylurgus piniperda in its mature 

 or iujago state : Ratzeburgh has some excellent reuiarks on 

 this destructive insect in his ' Forst-insecten,' and the late Dr. 

 Lindley made them a subject of inquiry, and the result was 

 ])ublished many years back in Curlis's ' British Entomology,' 

 fasc. 104. Although the injury of which my correspondents 

 complain has been in every instance confined to the yoioig 

 shoots, 1 have found the sanie species many years back on ihe 

 slumps oi" felled trees at Uirch Wood, and also in Greenwich 



