NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 87 
Witherslack on the wet mosses; described roughly as blackish, 
reddish brown head, and generally mining up. September 7th to 
October, larve of Hlachista teniatella found in plenty in Brachy- 
podium sylvaticum at Grange. August 19th, I think that this 
was the date when I took plenty of imagos of Glyphipteryx 
schenicolella on the wet mosses at Witherslack, but being mistaken 
for Fischeriella at the time no date was put down. October 5th, 
plenty cf larvee of Nepticula eneofasciella in blotches in leaves of 
agrimony at Grange. Can any one send me larve of Nepticula 
agrimoniella in exchange for these? October 5th, after great 
difficulty I found on this day a few larve mining in Festuca 
ovina, and described as slaty brown, which are no doubt those of 
Elachista dispunctella. This confirms what I formerly said about 
this insect,—that it would be an autumnal feeder, would hybernate 
in old grass-stems, and change late in spring. In June, 1876, a 
larva was found, and described as greyish yellow, which produced 
an imago, July 8th.—J. H. Turentraui; Preston, Feb. 8, 1879. 
Nore on Aquatic Dierrrous Larva.— Whilst making some 
observations on the animal life present in, and characteristic of, 
polluted waters, I was struck with the fact that dipterous larve, 
such as gnats (Culicides) and midges (Cheironomides), are far 
from being, as commonly supposed, valuable sanitary agents. A 
popular modern author writes: ‘“‘ Even in our ponds at home we 
are much indebted to the gnat larve for saving us from miasma.” 
But in numerous experiments and observations made during the 
past summer, [ invariably found that gnat larvee, blood-worms, &c., 
intensified putrefaction, and caused the decomposition of organic 
matter dissolved or suspended in water to take a more malignant 
type. The excreta of these creatures appear to me to contain in 
fact a powerful ferment, though I hope to examine further into 
this question during the next season. As regards the blood-worm 
(Cheironomus plumosus), I observed that in water containing 
dense layers of confervee it forms itself a tube or cell, by boring 
into these growths. If placed in a glass only sparingly coated 
with conferve, the larva forms tubes by collecting together 
granules, as described by Mr. KE. Cox in the ‘ Entomologist’ for 
December (Entom. xi. 261). On putting a single blood-worm 
into a glass I found that it made six or seven distinct cells, 
inhabiting sometimes one and then another.—J. W. SuaTer; 
8, Bicester Road, Aylesbury. 
