212 L February, 



Note on Leucophasia Duponcheli. — There appears to be confusion made by some 

 British authors between Leucophasia sinapis, var. lathyri, and Leucophasia Dupon- 

 cheli. Lang's figure of the under-side, and his description of the upper-surface of 

 this latter species are correct. It is widely separated from sinapis and all its forms 

 by its narrower and more pointed wings ; it is also a smaller insect. — Id. 



On the interbreeding of Zygcena trifolii and Z.filipendulce. — With reference to 

 Mr. Meyrick's remarks on Zygcena filipendulcB {ante p. 184), and its possible inter- 

 breeding with a five spot Burnet, there are, of course, one or two Zygcena of narrow 

 range that have both five and six spot forms, and with a dominant species like fili- 

 pendulce, it may be that it finds it can maintain its struggle more advantageously in 

 some districts in a five spot rather than a six spot form. 



A few years ago, however, when collecting in Switzerland and Piedmont, we 

 came to the conclusion that trifolii and filipendulcB had been interbreeding, and I 

 drew attention to this in Vol. xxi, p. 9, of this Magazine. In a walk from the 

 Hospice of the Great St. Bernard to Aosta, we found in the Bultier Valley these 

 two species in remarkable abundance, with transitional forms from one to the other 

 in all grades. I remember in one field in particular nearly every scabious head of 

 flowers, which were in great abundance, was tenanted by these insects, and frequently 

 two or three on one head ; it was in this field that we procured our most remarkable 

 varieties, several of which I described in the paper referred to. 



Both trifolii and filipendulcB were in equal abundance in this special place, and 

 we were thus forced to the conclusion that there was not only a possibility, but a 

 strong probability, that crossing had taken place. — Gh T. Baker, 16, Clarendon 

 Soad, Edgbaston : January 11th, 1889. 



Note on the food-plant of Cosmopteryx orichalcea. — In reference to the North 

 G-erman food-plant of this insect, I find it is not Festuca arundinacea, as we had 

 hitherto thought, neither is it Anthoxantlmm odoratum, but it is certainly Ilierochloe 

 odorata. 



This grass, after its blooming time (during which it remains quite small) is over, 

 has, in common with some other grasses, the peculiarity of pushing out very long 

 leaves in the autumn. The larva mines in these long autumnal leaves, preferring 

 those plants which are sheltered by bushes, just as C. Lienigiella and Scribaiella 

 frequent only those plants, which cannot be easily cut down. 



My stock of Ilierochloe being exhausted, I offered leaves of Milium effusum to 

 some young larvae of C. orichalcea, having been led to the choice of this grass by its 

 similarity of scent to Hierochloe. To my delight the young larvse bored in it and 

 fed juBt as if they had leaves of Ilierochloe. 



I am told that Coumarin is the cause of the delightful scent of both grasses, as 

 also of woodruff (Asperula odorata). — E. Heeing, Berlin, N. W., Invalidenstrasse, 

 No. 43. — January, 1889. 



^Hierochloe is a very rare British plant. Sowerby informs us that in Prussia it 

 is used to strew about Churches on high festivals on account of its agreeable scent. 

 The food-plant for C. orichalcea given by Biittncr in his " Notes on Stettin Micro- 



