172 ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES FOR THE YEAR 186S. 



Macroglossa stellatarum, the Humming Bird Hawk-Moth, has 

 been somewhat common this season, and great numbers of its 

 larva have been found feeding on the Yellow Lady's Bedstraw. 

 The larva fed freely in confinement, and were found to be easily 

 reared into the imago state. 



Sphecia bembeciformis was taken in abundance, in July, issuing 

 from some Black Italian Poplar trees near Sandyford. They 

 appeared to come out of the pupa state early in the morning 

 only, for the captor found that if he was later than half-past 

 seven a.m. the whole brood had got their wings dried and flown 

 away, and not a specimen was to be seen during the rest of the 

 day. 



Abraxas grossulariata, the Large Magpie Moth, has been so 

 exceedingly abundant in the gardens in Long Benton as to have 

 been a perfect pest. Generally, it only attacks the foliage of 

 the red and white currants, but this year scarcely anything 

 green has escaped its ravages : red, white, and black currants, 

 gooseberries, apple trees, hollyhocks, cabbages, &c., were all 

 eaten ; indeed, the number of individuals was so great, that 

 many of them must have been starved had they not become 

 general feeders. In our garden the warm dry spring brought 

 out the larva before the leaves of the gooseberry were deve- 

 loped, and they fed upon the unopened buds, which they ate 

 up so effectually that many of the small bushes never showed 

 a leaf; whilst, somewhat later, they cleared the larger ones of 

 leaves, fruit, and young shoots. Thousands of the larva were 

 slain by shaking the bushes and collecting them as they dangled 

 at the end of their lines, whilst many hundreds of pupa were 

 afterwards sought for and burnt. 



Centipede and Moth. — One of our most assiduous collectors of 

 Lepidoptera, Mr. Hamilton, when mothing this summer, got a 

 specimen rather curiously. He had sugared a strip of a wall 

 near Jesmond, and was considerably surprised when he returned 

 with his lanthorn, shortly afterwards, to find a stout moth, a 



