THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 



I know very little of the life-history of this species, but 

 Vogel says: — "The young larvae are found from July to 

 September, when they hybernate and feed again in April 

 and May, when they spin up, and the moths appear in June. 

 The larvae feed upon plantain, dandelion, scabious, hawk- 

 weed, chickweed, &c." — H. Douhleday. 



Heliothis armiger near Wakefield. — Will you be so kind 

 as to name the enclosed insect ? It was taken by me in 

 October last at Hoo Park, near here. I have shown it to 

 Mr. W. Talbot, but he does not know it. If you will give me 

 your opinion of it I shall esteem it as a favour. — Henry 

 Sims : Howard Street, Wakefield. 



The moth is Heliothis armiger: a light-coloured and 

 wasted specimen. 



Geometra Papiliojiaria. — On several occasions I have 

 met with the larvae of this species the first week in April, and 

 afterwards. Usually I find the larvae at the extreme end of 

 the twigs of birch, and not more than five feet from the 

 ground, I do not doubt their going higher, but I have never 

 found them so. I have seen them beaten out, but think this 

 a dangerous practice, as the larv;e hold so fast to the food. I 

 advise patience, and a sharp look at the young birches ; 

 where the leaves are eaten it is more easy to detect the 

 larvae. I think it would be difficult to find the larvae in 

 February or March, unless exceedingly mild weather, and 

 the birches are forward in leaf. — J. R. S. Clifford. 



Insect Perforating Lead. — May not the borings described 

 by Mr. Macmillan (Entom. vi. 38) be the work of some 

 species of Sirex ? It seems at least likely that from some 

 deal which had been used in the roofing, the imagos had 

 emerged, and, in order to effect their extrication, had pierced 

 through the metal above them. Two coniferous trees, 

 Finns sylvestris and Abies Excelsa, are frequently attacked 

 by Sirex Gigas, Juvencus, and other species, and these 

 supply timber used for rafters. M. Guerin-Melville and 

 others have given instances where these insects had per- 

 forated metal, one of these a well-aulhenlicated one: — some 

 cases of cartridges, forwarded to the French troops during 

 the Crimean war, having had the balls bored through, the 

 larvae or pupae having been enclosed with the fir boxes 

 containing them. And it would seem that several years are 



