264 OBSERVATIONS ON 



PHAL.ENA QUERCUS. 



Most of our oaks are naked of leaves, 

 and even the Holt in general, having been 

 ravaged by the caterpillars of a small pha- 

 Icena which is of a pale yellow colour. 

 These insects, though a feeble race, yet, 

 from their infinite numbers, are of wonder- 

 ful effect, being able to destroy the foliage 

 of whole forests and districts. At this sea- 

 son they leave their aurelia, and issue forth 

 in their fly-state, swarming and covering 

 the trees and hedges. 



In a field near Greatham, I saw a flight 

 of swifts busied in catching their prey near 

 the ground ; and found they were hawking 

 after these phalcence. The aurelia of this 

 moth is shining and as black as jet ; and 

 lies wrapped up in a leaf of the tree, which 

 is rolled round it, and secured at the ends 

 by a web, to prevent the maggot from fall- 

 ing out. White. 



I suspect that the insect here meant is 

 not the phalcena quercus, but the phalcsna 



