Insects. 9065 
Notes on the Economy of certain Micro-Lepidoptera. 
By Mr. Cuar_es HEALY. 
1. Larva of Adela Degeerella.—This larva is reported to feed on the 
Anemone nemorosa (wood anemone); whether it does so at any period 
of its larval state I am unable to say, but in March, 1861, I found 
several of the larva, being the first, I believe, ever discovered in this 
country, and in the following May bred two of the perfect insects, both 
females. These larve were found amongst the fallen leaves at the 
base of birch-bushes, and fed on the decayed leaves until the following 
April, when I offered them the buds of beech and hazel, which they 
appeared very partial to, each larva attacking a bud at its base, and 
eating out the interior. As I believe nothing at present is known as 
to the economy of the very young larva, I am inclined to think that a 
careful examination, at the end of June and the beginning of July, of 
the plants and bushes, particularly beech, in the locality frequented by 
the imago, might lead to its detection. Possibly the larva in its earlier 
stages of existence, like that of Incurvaria muscalella, mines its food, 
blotching the leaf, and afterwards cuts out a small case and descends 
to the ground: any blotched leaves found in the metropolis of the 
imago containing minute larve should be collected, and the result 
carefully noted, as we have several interesting observations to make on 
the habits and economy of this larva before its history can be con- 
sidered as thoroughly mastered. The following fact came under my 
own notice:—Three of the full-fed larve that I had placed on some 
mould in a jar, a day or so afterwards suddenly disappeared: feeling 
convinced they could not have escaped from the jar, I gently turned 
over the mould, and found one larva just under the surface, another 
about the centre, whilst the third larva I found had penetrated to the 
bottom of the jar. Can this be its usual habit? 
2. Economy and Moulting of the Larva of Incurvaria muscalella.— 
It sometimes happens when looking for one larva that we find another 
equally, if not more, acceptable to us than that for which we were 
searching. Just such an occurrence, on the 7th of June, 1863, revealed 
to me the inner life and economy of the very young larva of this spe- 
cies; for whilst engaged searching a hedge, consisting of sloe and 
whitethorn, I became aware of the presence of numbers of small 
blotches in the leaves, each blotch containing a minute larva: feeling 
interested as to what they would eventually prove to be the larve of, 
VOL, XXII. 2D 
