100 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



to di\y, hatched, and in the following January were discovered 

 apparently liealthily feeding on the cork setting-board, which was 

 riddled by the little caterpillars. The larvse generally pupate 

 near the exit of their gallery, but sometimes come out and go 

 beneath the earth outside, about the end of May. As the moth 

 emerges, the pupae push themselves partly out of the cocoon. 



Trochilium crahoniformis {hemheciformis) . — The moths of this 

 species usually emerge in June or early in July, quite early in the 

 morning, soon after the sun has gained some power. The males 

 take a very short time to dry sufficiently for flight, but may be 

 found drjdng their wings immediately over the empty pupa-cases, 

 which are to be seen sticking out of the end of the hole bored by 

 the larva in the solid wood of the trees on which they feed. 

 Females are not quite so active, and may be found as late as 

 seven or eight o'clock in the morning ; often in copula with a 

 male before the wings of either are quite dry enough to take 

 flight. Willows and osiers are said to be the standard food of 

 the larvse of T. crahoniformis ; but as it happens, I have only 

 taken imagines on 3^oung Lombardy poplars. Several such trees 

 near Birkenhead produced a fine series in three or four mornings' 

 work. Mr. Gregson, of Liverpool (Entom. xiii. 137), in an 

 interesting article on this moth, says that in South Lancashire 

 and Cheshire the growers of black poplars {Popidus nigra) sus- 

 tain great loss from the ravages of the larvae of this species, 

 which feed for two seasons in the larval state, three or four 

 generations usually killing the trees in the course of six or 

 eight years. Osier beds in the same district also suffer to a 

 considerable extent. It has been said (Entom, v. 380) that by 

 following woodcutters in spring, cut stems of sallow containing 

 these larvse may be found in sufficient numbers to repay for the 

 time and gratuity necessary to secure them. This I have seen 

 myself, though I have never tried to secure the larva, which in 

 one instance was common and apparently destructive. On March 

 23rd, 1883, Mr. W. Tristram says (Entom. xvii. 19) : " Having 

 heard that labourers were cutting an osier bed belonging to the 

 Leicester Corporation, I obtained the kind permission of the 

 town surveyor, and with the assistance of a friend and my saw I 

 obtained upward of 150 sticks, with nearly full-fed larvse of 

 hemheciformis in them. Not having room for all, I sent the 

 greater number to friends. The results of those I retained 



