OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS AND VERMES. 291 



the phalcena viridata,* concerning which, I find the following note in 

 my " Naturalist's Calendar " for the year 1785. 



About this time, and for a few days last past, I observed the leaves 

 of almost all the oak-trees in Denn copse to be eaten and destroyed, 

 and, on examining more narrowly, saw an infinite number of small 

 beautiful pale green moths flying about the trees ; the leaves of which 

 that were not quite destroyed were curled up, and withinside were the 

 exuvice or remains of the chrysalis, from whence I suppose the moths 

 had issued, and whose caterpillar had eaten the leaves. MARKWICK. 



EPHEMERA CAUDA BISETA. MAY-FLY. 



June 10, 1771. Myriads of May-flies appear for the first time on the 

 Alresford stream. The air was crowded with them, and the surface of 

 the water covered. Large trouts sucked them in as they lay struggling 

 on the surface of the stream, unable to rise till their wings were dried. 



This appearance reconciled me in some measure to the wonderful 

 account that Scopoli gives of the quantities emerging from the rivers 

 of Carniola. Their motions are very peculiar, up and down for many 

 yards almost in a perpendicular line. WHITE. 



I once saw a swarm of these insects playing up and down over the 

 surface of a pond in Denn Park, exactly in the manner described by 

 this accurate naturalist. It was late in the evening of a warm summer's 

 day when I observed them. MARKWICK. 



SPHYNX OCELLATA. 



A vast insect appears after it is dusk, flying with a humming noise, 

 and inserting its tongue into the bloom of the honey-suckle ; it scarcely 

 settles upon the plants, but feeds on the wing in the manner of 

 humming birds. WHITE. 



I have frequently seen the large bee moth, sphinx stellatarum, 

 inserting its long tongue or proboscis into the centre of flowers, and 



* If this was the ph. (tortrix) viridana as suggested by Mr. Markwick. They 

 are extremely destructive, and not confined to the south, in some parts of 



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