NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 187 



in all their golden glory elsewhere, had disappeared, but the display 

 of Lotus corniculatus was move beautiful here than I have ever seen 

 it. The close-cropped grasses and hawkweeds of the downs are also 

 unrepresented at such spots, their place being taken by the high 

 grasses beloved of Aphantoims hypcranthua and Mclananjia galatea. 

 It was, indeed, to determine how it fares with the latter species that 

 I made the little expedition ; and not in vain, for though only just 

 emerging I saw males sufficient to justify the hope that galatea is 

 re-establishing itself satisfactorily. On the same ground I had 

 taken two years ago Z. hippocrejndis, Stephens, and the females 

 were present in some numbers, though usually worn, flying with 

 Z. trifolii, trifolii being in perfection and in great force, and observed 

 for the first time by me in the Bucks Chilterns. Males of Z. fili- 

 pcndula were also just beginning to fly, and I observed particularly 

 how active these three Zyganidte — usually so sluggish — are when 

 the sky is overcast or heavy. They seem to revel in this sort of 

 noontide twilight, but keep sedulously apart from one another. I 

 have no doubt other observers must have encountered trifolii here- 

 abouts before ; as there is no record, however, for the county in 

 Tutt's ' British Lepidoptera,' vol. i, and only one — Great Marlow — 

 for hippocrcpidis, I think my observations may be useful. — H. 

 Eow^land-Brown ; Harrow Weald, July 7th. 



Observations on the Larval Habits op Dimorpha (Endromis) 

 VERSicoLORA, L. — For the first time in the Alpes-Maritimes we have 

 taken fourteen larvae of D. versicolora this season — on birch of course. 

 They were in each case in the second instar (I found the batch of 

 eggs on a dead twig somewhere about the tree), seven on one tree, 

 three on another, and four on another, in different localities, but all in 

 the same valley. I suppose the extraordinary habits before spinning 

 up have been noted many times, but I have never reared the species 

 before. I kept them in my room on large fresh branches of birch in 

 wine-bottles, and a newspaper under ; they have fed up magnificently. 

 What astonished me is the self-effected purgation of the entire ali- 

 mentary tract. This is produced by the larva, a short time after 

 ceasing to feed, licking itself — one may say so for the process — all over 

 from head to foot, anointing very thinly every part of its body with 

 a liquid which dries rapidly as it is produced ; and it does not even 

 forget to " varnish " its legs and feet. In a short time — an hour or 

 so — this unction takes effect, producing violent spasmodic but regular 

 contractions from the head to the anal segment, and with the result 

 that the whole body is emptied of its contents in the digestive organs. 

 I have never known of a larva behaving in this way. I watched all 

 of them, and everyone treated itself thus after the purge. They 

 turn pink like D. vmula, and descend to spin up amongst moss or 

 leaves. The convulsive contractions are most violent, and quite 

 appalling to witness ! I thought, the first time, the larva was ill, 

 but then I recognised the meaning of the all-over licking process. 

 The drug acts through the skin. Has anyone made an examination 

 of tlie properties of the peculiar secretion, which must act as does 

 ergot of rye on the uterus under certain circumstances. — C. E. 

 Morris; Hotel Rabuons, St. Etienne-de-Tinne, A.M., July 3rd, 1920. 



