; 
: 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST, 45 
by this or any other moths during the past or in any previous 
year, and so prevent such eggs becoming caterpillars, for it is 
as such they have done the injury. 
“Of course, whatever is used as a remedy must not per- 
manently do injury to the grass, nor damage any linens 
which may hereafter be exposed thereon; and, as the extent 
of ground to be operated upon is so considerable, it is 
important that the stuff should be as inexpensive as possible 
to insure the complete destruction of moths’-eggs, &c. 
“ Hoping you will give the matter your careful considera- 
tion,—1 am yours faithfully, “Wa. EccLEs.” 
[In the first place, I may state that the caterpillars, of 
which I have still a number under my notice, are those of a 
familiar but not very common moth, well known to entomolo- 
gists as the ruby tiger (Arctia rubiginosa), At present 
(December) they seem to be hybernating on the inner side 
of the flower-pot in which they are confined, covered only by 
a piece of gauze, and are perfectly stationary, neither 
requiring food nor exercise. At p. 140 of the ‘ Entomologist’ 
[ gave a complete life-history of the insect,—of course not 
mentioning the delinquency in respect of linen-cloth, of 
which I was totally ignorant, and believe to be entirely 
exceptional. I will, however, repeat some of the salient 
points, as they may possibly assist my correspondents in the 
North of Ireland in pointing out the insect to their neigh- 
bours, and warning them of the injury it has already done in 
the bleach-fields. The life-history will be found in eaxtenso 
in No. 33 of the ‘ Entomologist.’ 
The parent moth lays its eggs (from thirty to forty in 
number) on the leaves of the broad-leaved plantain (Plantago 
major), and also on several species of dock and sorrel: these 
hatch, and become caterpillars in about fourteen days. They 
are covered with small, stiff, reddish hairs; and as they 
crawl up the plantain or dock leaves, or climb the bents or 
blades of grass, they remind one of miniature bears; in fact, 
they ascend a blade of grass just as a bear mounts the pole in 
the Zoological Gardens. But when they are still younger, 
and not yet possessed by a rambling or climbing spirit,— 
indeed, while they are quite babies,—they keep on the under 
side of a dock-leaf or plantain-leaf, or, in captivity, of a 
