NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 231 



with hereabouts, at an early date. — W. F. de V. Kane ; Winslade, 

 Exeter, August 16, 1887. 



Pupation of Cossus. — "Whilst some lawn-tennis was going on 

 here a short time ago one of the party actually saw the perfect 

 insect of Cossus ligniperda emerge from the ground within the 

 Court. I doubted it for a moment, as I believed the larva 

 always made up its pupa-case in the wood ; but on going to the 

 spot I saw the pupa-case and the moth in a perfect condition. — 

 W. O. Hammond ; St. Alban's Court, August 22, 1887. 



DiANTHCECIA CAPSOPHILA FEEDING ON CaRNATIONS. — I WaS 



rather startled yesterday evening by the information that a lady 

 resident in this locality desired my opinion as to the destruction 

 of all her beautiful carnations and pinks by a nocturnal marauder 

 that devoured the buds just as they were about to burst into 

 bloom, a circumstance that had not previously occurred during a 

 residence of some years at the seaside. I confess that, with my 

 very elementary knowledge of the larval stage of insect-life, I felt 

 much as the king of Israel is recorded to have felt when the 

 Syrian general came to be cleansed of his lepros}^ ; I cast about 

 in my mind as to how I could avoid hazarding an opinion until I 

 could consult Mr. Kane or some other eminent entomological 

 friend ; but what was my astonishment and joy to observe, upon 

 inspecting the carnation-buds sent, a nearl}^ full-fed larva of 

 D. capsophila looking at me from a round hole which he had 

 pierced in the top of the bud. As an old friend, so I recognised 

 him at once. Your readers are doubtless aware that D. capso- 

 phila is found abundantly upon this coast, the imago flying at 

 dusk over the flowers, and the larvae feeding at night upon the 

 capsules of Silene marithna, which is usually quite a common 

 plant upon the shores of Howth. This year, from the abnormal 

 heat of the weather, the plant has become rare ; hardly a flower 

 of it is to be seen, and therefore it seems to me most strange, 

 and yet most natural, to find this larva adopting what lawj^ers 

 would call the "cy-pres" doctrine, and seeking to sustain life 

 by feeding upon another member of the botanical order of 

 Caryophyllaceae. The two plants are most unlike to the casual 

 human observer. — S. R. Fetherstonhaugh ; Eokeby, Howth, 

 Co. Dublin, July 30, 1887. [Larvse of Diantlioscia caps'mcola are 

 not uncommon in seed-capsules of sweet-williams and pinks in 

 London gardens. — R. S.] 



