102 POTATO, 



bred for yon, and I have no doubt you will be able to identify them. 

 The caterpillars of the enclosed specimens were taken in the field from 

 injured Potatoes in the end of July, when the larvfe were about half 

 grown. They pupated in the tliird week of August, and the moths 

 appeared in the middle of September. The disease makes its appear- 

 ance first in the garden among the early varieties, afterwards in the 

 field among the later sorts. The Potatoes appear to be liable to the 

 attack during the whole period of active growth. When late and 

 robust growing varieties are attacked, the stems do not fall down like 

 the earlier sorts, but may be seen standing erect after they are 

 withered and dead." — (W. S.) 



As I could not myself feel sure that I was able to identify the 

 species quite certainly, and it was of very practical interest to be sure 

 in the matter, I ventured to submit the specimens to Mr. Kichard 

 South, F.E.S., who was good enough to reply that he was inclined to 

 think they were "rather small and very dark examples of Hydrcecia 

 micacea, Esp." Mr. South added: — "This species is known to feed 

 in larval stage in Dock and species of Equisetum. So far as I am 

 aware, the fact of this larva feeding in the stems of Potato is new, but 

 I remember that a grower at Macclesfield told me that a ' grub ' (which 

 from his description ought to have been a Noctua) affected his Potato 

 crop."— (R. S.) 



On June 15th in 1892 I had myself had inquiries sent me as to the 

 nature of an attack to Potato haulm corresponding with that reported 

 above, and similarly caused by a Noctua moth caterpillar — these re- 

 spectively, in one case, from Melton Mowbray ; in the other, from 

 Daleally, Errol, N.B. ; but unfortunately I was not able to procure 

 specimens of the moth to which the larva developed, for identification. 

 From the nature of the injury, however, and the appearance of the 

 larva, I conjectured the kind to be Gortyna fiavmjo, a species exceedingly 

 nearly allied to Hydrcecia micacea, and the moths of the two species 

 similar in size, and likewise of similar variation in size (see Stainton's 

 ' Manual of Butterflies and Moths,' vol. i. pp. 196, 198) ; and at p. 119 

 of my Annual Report for 1892 I noted that it seemed " scarcely open 

 to doubt," so far as I could judge from the points available for investi- 

 gation, that the grubs were of G. flavayo. 



As the Potato-borer, of which we have since had specimens, proves 

 almost certainly to be H. micacea, it would be of very useful interest 

 in case Potato crops are still injured by stem-borers at Melton 

 Mowbray, and near Errol, to have complete observation by which we 

 might make sure of the kind specifically, and I give the following 

 description of the larva of H. micacea from Newman's ' British Moths,' 

 p. 282 :— 



"The body is soft, fleshy, and maggot-like, the segments being 



