NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 275 



it attacked the grass, corn, and sugar-cane of Georgia ; but in 

 Illinois it made its first appearance as an injurious insect in 1868 

 and 1870, and has not since been numerous enough here to 

 attract attention), description, life-histoiy, injuries to vegetation 

 and remedies (mechanical destruction and poisoning). — Edward 

 A. Fitch; Maldon. 



Urticating by Liparis chrysorrhgea. — There is, I believe, 

 no doubt that the handling of the larva and of the cocoon of this 

 moth ordinarily produces an attack of urticaria, a skin affection 

 " characterised by the development of wheals, and accompanied 

 by sensations of stinging, itching, and burning, like those pro- 

 duced by the sting of a nettle " (Liveing). I have no doubt that 

 this is produced by the hairs, which hairs form a large part 

 of the materials of the cocoon. A schoolfellow of mine, some 

 years ago, had what I now recognise as an attack of the above 

 affection, after having carried home several of these larvse. 

 Country children, who are in the habit of collecting these larvse, 

 being attracted by their bright colours, are very subject to it. 

 After carrying them home in their handerchiefs and aprons, and 

 depositing them, they perhaps wipe their faces and necks, and 

 forthwith suffer from an acute attack. The hairs, on examina- 

 tion, may be found sticking into the skin. In the case mentioned 

 by your correspondent, the broken hairs must have been con- 

 veyed from his hands to his neck, and they were the direct 

 irritant in both cases. Anyone who examines the human skin 

 by the aid of a powerful lens, may see the innumerable orifices of 

 the sudoviparous and sebaceous glands, commonly termed " the 

 pores of the skin," through which they might get access to the 

 deeper layers, even if they were not strong enough to pierce the 

 cuticle. I hope at some further time to be able to compare these 

 hairs microscopically with the brittle knob-tipped hairs of 

 Urticacece. — Percy Rendall ; St. Bartholomew's Hospital, E.C. 



The Urticating- properties of the Hairs of some Lepi- 

 doptera. — 1 am glad that your correspondent has called atten- 

 tion (Entom. xvii. 257) to this subject, and trust some definite 

 information may be elicited concerning " urtication." It may, 

 perchance, not be generally known that the imagines of Liparis 

 chrysorrhoea and L. auriflua possess this stinging property. I 



