276 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



was once conveying a newly -emerged specimen of the latter to 

 the poison-bottle, and in some way or other let it fall up my arm, 

 between the flesh and shirt-sleeve. It remained there but a 

 second, as I immediately gave a shake, and got it down again 

 without any apparent detriment to the moth ; but in a very few 

 minutes my arm looked as if it had been stung by nettles, and 

 the irritation, which was almost unbearable, continued for nearly 

 two hours. About this time my brother captured another, which 

 he carried home in his hat. Like myself, being unacquainted 

 with the poisonous nature of the perfect insect, he was sur- 

 prised to see his forehead covered with little white lumps, 

 causing an intolerable itching. So bad was it that he went to 

 his medical man for advice, who told him that he must have 

 checked the perspiration, and gave him some medicine accord- 

 ingly. In some seasons the hedges by our canal swarm with the 

 larvae of Liparis chrysorrhcea, and, strange to say, I experience 

 greater discomfort after the moths have left their cocoons, as I 

 can scarcely walk by the hedges (if a wind be blowing) without 

 face, neck, and hands suffering severely, and I dare not beat them 

 for some time afterwards. The reason of this may possibly be, 

 that as the moths emerge, the hairs, which are so plentifully 

 used in the construction of the cocoons, are set free. Surely 

 there must be some poisonous property in the hairs ; the simple 

 penetration of the skin could not cause such discomfort. Again, 

 many hairy larvse, such as Acronycta aceris, Arctia lubricipeda 

 and A. menthastri, shed all their hairs, and with them line their 

 cocoons, yet may be handled with impunity. In the case of the 

 imago of L. chrysorrhcea and L. auriflua, I am inclined to believe 

 that the irritation is caused by the white hairs which fringe the 

 inner margins of the wings, and not the golden tail-tufts, as I 

 have rubbed the latter over my hands with no unpleasant results. 

 — Joseph Anderson, Jun. ; Chichester, November, 1884. 



EUPITHECIA NANATA, VAR. CURZONI. — 111 the ' Entomologist ' 



(Vol. xvii., p. 240), is an account by Mr. C. S. Gregson of the 

 northern form of Eupithecia nanata, which he describes as a new 

 species, under the name of Eupithecia curzoni. As I have had 

 more experience of this insect than any other collector, I should 

 like to make a few remarks upon the subject, stating what I know 

 of it. In the summer of 1880, I was collecting in the Shetland 

 Islands for Mr. E. G. Meek, and, as your readers will remember, 



