THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 299 



between the second and third, and the third and fourth changes, 

 there is only an interval of about four days. After the larva 

 has formed its loose cocoon it continues nearly a fortnight in 

 that condition ere the pupa state is assumed. — John R. S. 

 Clifford ; 21, Robert Terrace, Chelsea, September 15, 1865. 



221. Coleophora cccspitiella. — We are in want of your 

 advice about an insect which has attacked the food of the 

 red grouse in countless millions, and we fear the conse- 

 quences : it makes its appearance as a little white silken 

 bag, standing almost erect among the seeds of the rushes, 

 and in such quantity as to make the whole moor look 

 whitish, as though covered with hoar-frost. 1 send you a 

 sample of this plague, and wish to know whether it is likely 

 to have an injurious effect on the grouse. — Wilson Neville ; 

 Aughtermuchty, September 2, 1865. 



[The plant is Juncus squarrosus ; the white cases, as I am 

 informed by Mr. Stainton, are the larva- cases of Coleophora 

 caespitiella, a very abundant but minute moth : it lives through 

 the winter in the larva state, and will not apj)ear on the wing 

 until next June. I may add, as a mere opinion of my own, 

 that the presence of this little insect on the rush is not likely 

 to be injurious to the grouse, in whatever quantities it may 

 be devoured. — Edward Netvman.] 



222. The Cattle Disease in America connected with an 

 Insect. — The ' Medical Circular ' for August 80th contains 

 an extract from the 'Memphis Bulletin' of July 25th, with 

 regard to a cattle disease which has broken out in America, 

 but happily is now abating. The extract would be loo long 

 for insertion verbatim, so I give the substance, and should 

 be glad to hear what your correspondents know about this 

 insect. By what I can gather from this notice I imagine it 

 belongs to the genus Tabanus. In the early part of the. sum- 

 mer an incredible number of black gnats made their appear- 

 ance in the Mississippi bottoms, and attacked domesticated 

 animals of all kinds, their attack proving fatal in many cases. 

 After the disappearance of these pests an epidemic broke 

 out amongst the cattle, horses and hogs, having all the ap- 

 pearance of erysipelas, and giving way under the influence of 

 iodine applied on the bitten part. The favourite place of 

 attack appears to be under the throat, although other places 

 are sometimes chosen. — William Gibson ; August SO, 1865. 



