HAY- STACK MOTH. 17 



close, there are very few indeed, I might almost say nil. They put me 

 very much in mind of the clothes' moths, as they seem to run into the 

 stack again as soon as they settle after flying out. They do not appear 

 to go in to any great distance, I should say from six to nine inches, 

 according to the closeness of the stack." — (W. G.) 



The above observations of Mr. Gardner show this moth infestation 

 to occur in the outside of various kinds of fodder stacks,, as of Clover, 

 Saintfoiu, and hay, but to be most prevalent in the material which is 

 most open to ingress, and also in the upper part of the stack, which is 

 the least closely pressed together. The date of successive appearances 

 of the moths ranged over at least nine weeks, probably more, as in the 

 first little packet of cocoons sent me on June 7tli there were some con- 

 taining only empty chrysalids, besides one moth which appeared to 

 have developed during transit; and up to August 10th moths were still 

 observed by Mr. Gardner to be continuing to appear. 



As when first the infestation was sent me I was unacquainted with 

 it, I forwarded specimens to Mr. S. L. Mosley, Huddersfield, who gave 

 me the name ; and I am also indebted to Mr. Porritt, of Huddersfield, 

 for the observation that "the larva feeds on all kinds of dried vegetable 

 matter, and that he has frequently beaten the moth out of thatch." 



In some communication on the subject with Mr. Edward A. Atmore, 

 F.E.S., of King's Lynn, Norfolk, he wrote: — "With regard to the 

 Pyralis, it breeds here in accumulated rubbish formed on Birches from 

 the adventitious buds, which produce those peculiar bird's-nest-like 

 formations. I have bred moths from them, but the insect does not 

 seem to be common here." 



In an early number of ' The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,' * 

 there is some very good information by the late William Buckler 

 regarding the appearance of the larvae of this moth ; and also some 

 interesting detailed observations by the Hon. T. de Grey (now Lord 

 Walsingham) on this infestation being found in the masses of deformed 

 twigs often found on Birch trees, t 



The larva of the Pyralis glaucinalis is thus described by Mr. Wm. 

 Buckler \ (see previous reference to Ent. Mo. Mag.) : — "At this date " 

 (the 18th of April, 1869) " the youngest larva was about half an inch 

 long, of a dull pale brownish olive green ; others were larger and 



* See 'Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,' vol. vi (1869—1870), p. 111. 



t These masses are sometimes known as Witch-knots, or Witches'-brooms, and 

 are caused by a Gall Mite, or four-legged Acariis, one of the PhytoptidfB, nearly- 

 allied to the Black Currant Gall Mite, the Phytoptus ribis, which causes the swollen 

 growth of buds only too well known to bush fruit-growers. 



+ Mr. W. Buckler's description of the larvae is given in order to complete the 

 life-history, as I had not the opportunity of observing the insects before they had 

 spun up, and were beginning to emerge in moth condition. 







