i«93.] 20 L 



under-side of the lobes, but whilst that of regiella is placed immedi- 

 ately under the edge, that of ignohilella is w'ell away from it, and, as 

 often as not, quite in the middle. Now there is good reason for the 

 extra precision on the part of regiella. Its gallery is short and coarse, 

 and if it did not start true from the first, all its gyrations might fail 

 to carry it to its proper situation, whilst the gallery of ignohilella, being 

 fairly long and slender, is sure sooner or later in its course to 

 reach the edge and give the larva the necessary knowledge of its 

 whereabouts. 



Very commonly, however, no explanation for the position of the 

 egg is possible, beyond the simple statement that it is the nature of 

 the insect to place it where she does. For example, one species will 

 lay on the upper-side, and another, for no apparent cause, on the 

 under-side of the same kind of leaf , and yet each will cling exclusively 

 to its own habit, as if it were a matter of vital importance. Now and 

 then, of course, an egg will be found out of place, but it is really 

 surprising how seldom such a mistake occurs, and there are many 

 species in which I have not yet seen it happen. Consequently, as a 

 character, the position of the egg is quite as reliable as many another 

 on which the naturalist has learnt to depend. Let me give an instance 

 or two, where this may be the only, or at any rate the most important 

 quality at our disposal. The first part of the mine of ceneofasciella is 

 a very long and slender gallery, just like, in fact, the mine of aurella ; 

 the larvae too are very similar. At this early stage, therefore, a mine 

 of aurella in a leaf of agrimony (and such an occurrence, as has already 

 been stated, is by no means uncommon) could not well be distinguished 

 from that of the more legitimate occupant, if it were not for the fact 

 that the egg of ceneofasciella is always on the under-side of the leaf, 

 and that of aurella as invariably on the upper-side. It may be as well 

 to say that the kind of leaf seems to make no difference to aurella, 

 and whether it be bramble, strawberry or any other, the moth always 

 lays upon the upper-side. Pygmceella and gratiosella are both fond, 

 but especially the latter, of laying on the narrow leafy frill that edges 

 the stalk of the hawthorn leaf. Both mines on reaching the blade 

 keep along the edge, and are occasionally so alike in every way that, 

 if empty, nothing but the position of the egg could enable one to say 

 which was which. If, however, the egg should be on the upper-surface 

 of the frill, the mine can be confidently referred to pygmeeella, and as 

 confidently to gratiosella if on the under-surface. 



(To he continuedj. 



