THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 261 



described and regarded as an indication of the female : my 

 own specimens support this opinion, but I shall be glad to 

 have the experience of others. — E. Newman.] 



Abundance of Bryophila glandifera Larva. — Have any of 

 your correspondents observed the unusual abundance of the 

 larvaj of B. glandifera this season ? The old lichen-covered 

 walls are profusely dotted with their domiciles, which I pre- 

 sume is in consequence of the late very wet autumn. Does 

 Perla appear to be in unusual numbers this season ? — Geo. 

 C. DUjnell ; 8, Clarence Place, Stonehouse, Plymouth, March 

 12, 1867. 



Tlie Ricino Silkworm. — The * Western Morning News' of 

 October 21st, 1862, contained the following paragraph : — ■ 

 " Eighty specimens of a hardy description of silkworm, the 

 Gusano Ricino, were introduced scarcely eight months ago, 

 and at the present time they are counted by millions, being 

 the result of five generations in this short space of time. The 

 Ricino plant, upon which they feed, grows spontaneously in 

 the country (River Plate, Monte Video), and of such fine 

 quality for the food of the worms. Cocoons superior to those 

 in Europe and China. Specimens of cocoons are expected 

 in England next mail." — Id. 



Acidalia inlerjectaria of Boisduval a British Insect. — Two 

 or three years since I obtained specimens of an Acidalia from 

 Cambridgeshire which appeared to me to be interjectaria of 

 Boisduval, but as they were rather wasted I thought it better 

 to wait till I procured others before 1 said anything about 

 them. Last summer I received three or four perfect speci- 

 mens, and upon comparing them with a scries of interjectaria 

 which I received from T>\\ Staudinger, in January, I was con- 

 vinced that my British specimens belonged to this species ; 

 but in order to remove all doubt upon the subject I sent one 

 of them to my kind friend M. Guenee, who said it was inter- 

 jectaria and common at Chaleaudun. This species is closely 

 allied to osscata and holosericata : it differs from the first in 

 the form of the wings, which are more rounded, and in the 

 colour of the costa, which is pale brown and not rufous; 

 there is also a conspicuous dark spot in the middle of the 

 costa, and another nearer the base, which do not exist in 

 osseata. It differs from holosericata in having a distinct 

 central black dot on the four wings, both above and below, 



