CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 37 



The first moult occurred on June 20th ; immediately after the 

 yellowish dorsal line became apparent. A second moult was in pro- 

 gress on June 28th. A thircl took place on July 9th, and it was 

 noticeable afterwards that the caterpillars seemed more active and 

 less attached to the web. The fourth change was made on July 21st, 

 and a fifth began on August 7th. Up to the fourth change every 

 fresh batch of food had been regularly webbed over, but after it there 

 was a less pronounced tendency to spin. By August 19th spinning 

 up was in full swing. The first pupa was noticed on August 27th, 

 and the last about September 18th. These dates, so much later than 

 usual, made probable hybernation in the pupa. But on October 7th 

 the fluttering of wings drew attention to the breeding-cages, and one 

 or two imagines were seen to have emerged, probably not earlier 

 than the 5th. They continued to hatch out for about a week. The 

 identification of the species was effected before the imagines were 

 bred. As the larval characters became more pronounced, it was 

 evident they must be M. neustria, L., or some closely related Con- 

 tinental form. To settle the matter, some nearly full-fed examples, 

 killed extended by plunging into boiling seventy per cent, alcohol, 

 were submitted to Mr. South, who pronounced them to be un- 

 doubtedly M. neustria. — James Waterston ; 9, Woodburn Terrace, 

 Edinburgh. 



IcHNEUMONiD^ IN LoNDON DISTRICT. — The Euonyvius bushes so 

 plentiful in front gardens of this (Heme Hill) and other suburban 

 localities appear every year to be a much-favoured food-plant of 

 Abraxas grossulariata, and, speaking of this particular place, the 

 duty of keeping within reasonable bounds the larvae of this moth 

 appear to be undertaken by five species of Ichneumons, viz. Casi- 

 naria vidua, Grav., Mesochorus''' fulgicrans, Curt., M. olerum, Curt., 

 M. basalis, Curt., and a Braconid {Apanteles) of as yet doubtful 

 identity, all of which make their cocoons among the branches of the 

 shrub. The commonest parasite of Grossulariata — Stenichneumon 

 trilimatus, Gmel. — I have not yet found here. Only single speci- 

 mens are pi'oduced of Casinaria vidua and Mesochorus fulgurans 

 from a caterpillar, but more of the three other and smaller species 

 from one host. Of other Ichneumons met with here, but not traced 

 to their local hosts, are : — Cratichneumon coruscator, Linn., and 

 C. fabricator, Fab., Ichneumon suspiciosus, Wesm., I. extensorius, 

 Linn., Barichneumon albicinctus, Grav., Melanichneumon leucomelas, 

 Gmel., numbers of this circling round a small piece of bank on sunny 

 mornings probably emerged from Noctuas. Amblyteles armatorius, 

 Forst., the males of which were excessively numerous. Platylabus 

 pedatorius. Fab., Glyphicnemis brevis, Grav., Phygadeuon variabilis, 

 Grav., Hemeteles areator, Panz., Atractodes vestalis, Hal., Exetastes 

 cinctipes, Eetz., E. nigripes, Grav., Pimpla examinator. Fab., P. turi- 

 onellcB, Linn., P. oculatoria, Fab., P. alternans, Grav., P. detrita, 

 Holmgr., P. instigator, Fab., P. inanis, Grav., P. maculator. Fab., 

 Stilbops chrysostoma, Grav., Cteniscus succinctus, Gr., Bassus keta- 



'•= All the species of Mesochorus are known to be hyperparasitic, not in- 

 frequently upon Braconids, and in this case the Apanteles was doubtless the 

 host of at least the smaller species. — C. M. 



