LIFE-HISTORIES. 267 



Mr. Marshall states (7?wi. Mo. May.) that the damage recorded by 

 Barrett as being done to fruit in Natal, and described ante., p. 193, is 

 not done by the moths at all, the offender being a Trypetid, the moths 

 only being attracted by the exuding juice. 



Lord Walsingham alters {Fyiit. Mo. May.) the specific name of 

 Phalonia erigerana to Phalonia sabulicola owing to the similarity of 

 erigerana to crhjeronana, the latter a ConchyUs named by Kiley in 1887. 



Mr. W. C. Boyd observes {Ent. Mo. May.) that a 4 per cent, 

 solution of formalin is perfectly satisfactory in preserving female 

 Psychids, the shape, size, and colour being exceedingly well retained. 



Whilst we Avere at Chambery we looked up the collections which the 

 Societe Histoire Naturelle de la Savoie keeps, and which the members 

 kindly throw open to the public. The society, founded in 1844, is, 

 we believe, largely aided by the local authorities, those of Chambery, 

 we were informed, granting 1,000 francs and those of Aix-les-Bains 

 200 francs annually. We had expected to find a collection of 

 Lepidoptera of a very high order, as it is well-known that several 

 eminent entomologists aided many years ago in its formation, but the 

 careless exposure of the specimens in cases on walls in the full glare of 

 the light has ruined what was evidently, a half century ago, a truly 

 good representative collection of the lepidoptera of the district, and 

 one finds now nothing but bleached specimens — Pericallia syrinyaria, 

 Ennomos autumnaria, Boarmia rohoraria, in fact, all the Geometrids, 

 as well as Arctiids and Noctuids, are white as silver. The butterflies, 

 too, are often wrongly named. Erebia yoante is placed as E. yorge, a 

 male Satynis cordula pairs oft' with S. dryas under the name of bryce, 

 and so on. One always wishes when one goes into a district for the 

 first time that a good local collection may be available for reference. 

 This rarely is so, but when there has been, and it has been allowed 

 to go to ruin, one is more than disappointed. 



;]g^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARYJE, &c. 



Larva of Lithosia griseola ab. stramineola. — On October 2nd, 

 1898, I made the following note of some still-feeding larvffi of L, 

 yriseola ab. stramincola. — About 4'" long ; head, black and shining ; 

 short dark-brown bristles on each segment ; colour blackish with 

 reddish markings between the segments and on either side of the black 

 dorsal line, so that the body presents a sort of mottled black and red 

 appearance ; a distinct red blotch on pro- and mesothorax and another 

 on the anal segment ; the dorsum is almost without hairs, the latter 

 appear to spring from the lateral tubercles ; the lateral line blackish 

 with very faint indications of paler markings ; the ventral surface 

 light brownish-black. — H. M. Edelsten, F.E.S., Forty Hill, Enfield. 



Larva of Calligenia ]\iiniata. — On October 2nd, 1898, 1 made the 

 following note of some hybernating larvae of CalUycnia miniata : — 

 Length about 6"25mm. Head shining, yellow ; body covered with 

 long dark fawn-coloured hair tussocks, placed on each segment, hairs 

 about l*5mm. in length, the thorax covered Avith bristles ; the body 

 yellowish in colour, the ventral surface paler than the dorsum and 

 lateral parts of body. The hybernating larva rests mider pieces of 

 bark, &c., lying on the surface of the sand, which leads one to suspect 

 that it may be a ground-feeder in nature. — Ibid. 



