140 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



emerges, or to kill the moth as it sits upon the tree before it 

 takes its first flight, and then our trees would be compara- 

 tively safe ; or if we encourage the blue tit and the common 

 creeper they will do the work for us equally well. [There is 

 something very remarkable in the manner in wl)ich the larva 

 of this species appears to poison or destroy the tree on the 

 wood of which it feeds, when it has prepared a place of exit ; 

 the bark surrounding the future aperture loses its vitality for 

 a certain space, and a distinct line, marking out an oblong 

 area, becomes very perceptible ; a few weeks subsequently a 

 second area is marked in the same way, and shortly after- 

 wards a third. 1 have specimens before me cut from a sal- 

 low which was killed by this larva, and which was presented 

 to me by Mr. Pristo, of Whippingham ; the inner cicatrix is 

 about an inch long and three-quarters of an inch wide ; the 

 second in order is four inches long and two and a half inches 

 wide ; and the third, seven inches long and two and three- 

 quarters inches wide ; so it will be seen that the virus, what- 

 ever it may be, extends much farther longitudinally than 

 laterally, the comparative longitudinal increase corresponding 

 with the actual : dehiscence invariably takes place after the 

 boundary-lines have once been mapped out, but it does not 

 follow rapidly, weeks, and in some instances months, elapsing 

 before the bark falls.] — C. S. Gregson ; Stanley, near Liver- 

 pool, Atfffiisf, 1866. 



[The additions in editorial brackets have been made by the 

 kind permission of Mr. Gregson. — Edward Newnian.] 



Life-history of Arctiafuligiiiosa. — The eggs are laid in 

 June and July, in batches of thirty to forty together, on the 

 leaves of Plantago major (broad-leaved plantain) and several 

 species of Rumex (dock), and the young larvae generally 

 emerge in ten or twelve days: the presence of these juveniles 

 is indicated by numerous small and nearly circular holes in 

 the leaf; this is particularly the case with lettuce-leaves, on 

 which these larvce feed freely in confinement ; they always 

 rest in a straight position on the under surface of the leaf: 

 when touched, or when the leaf is ^^haken, they fall to the 

 ground in a curved posture, and exhibit a decided tendency 

 to assume the ling form, but almost immediately resume the 

 ordinary straight position, begin crawling, and reascend the 

 food-plant. In August, although still very small, they retire 



