Insects. 7109 



this previously unique insect was taken at sugar on Whit-Sunday last, by Mr. Smith, 

 a collector living at Walworth, with whom I am not acquainted. It was brought to 

 rae to name by Mr. Clements. For the satisfaction of those who may be sceptical as 

 to the authenticity of such a splendid capture, I may stale that it was seen by a trust- 

 worthy entomolofjist while still alive. Only one other British specimen has been 

 recorded, and this was said to have been taken in the New Forest by Captain 

 Chawner. It is sometimes represented in cabinets by injured specimens of Toxocampa 

 Pastinum. — Edward Nervman. 



Food-plant of CEcophora tripuncta : Correction of an Error. — In the 'Zoologist' fur 

 June (Zool. 7060) Mr. Parfitt announced that he had bred CEcophora tripuncta from 

 pupae received from Mr. D'Orville, who had found the larvge feeding on dried mint. 

 Immediately I perused this communication I wrote to Mr. D'Orville for some further 

 particulars, for though CE. minutella is common in out-houses and its larva is known 

 to feed on dry seeds, the food and habitat here assigned to (E. tripuncta appeared 

 to me singular, that insect flying freely along hedges, and its proper food being, in all 

 probability, decayed wood. Mr. D'Orville at once cleared up the mystery by assuring 

 me the insects he had bred were ffi. minutella (oppositella, Wood, fig. 1575) and not 

 CE. tripuncta and, quoted the following entry from his journal. " February, 1857. 

 Found, in a bundle of dried mint, hundreds of small bluish-white larvse with light brown 

 head ; the leaves nearly all eaten. June 4th and 5th. Emerged a Micro with blackish 

 wings, having two gold spots on each wing." Mr. D'Orville adds in his letter " The 

 larvae fed upon the dried leaves, and I had to keep them supplied with that food until 

 they went into pupa. I have captured CE. tripuncta, and have three or four specimens, 

 whereas of the insect I bred I have many in my store box. I have written to Mr. 

 Parfitt on the subject, and enclose his letter to me just received." Mr. Parfitt's letter 

 unfortunately again covers the whole subject with a veil of the deepest mystery. He 

 has bred specimens of CE. tripuncta, but no bred specimens of CE. minutella, and the 

 record in his journal respecting the CE. tripuncta states they " were bred from larvas 

 feeding on a bunch of dried mint; from Mr. D'Orville, Alphington." Mr. Parfitt 

 sketches a wing of each species to show there is no transposition, and remarks that the 

 fineness of his specimens of CE. tripuncta is a convincing proof that they were bred. 

 Mr. Parfitt observes, " Where the mistake is or how it can have arisen I am sure I 

 cannot conceive, as at that time I was studying the Micros particularly, and was very 

 careful in keeping them in separate jam pots." Strange things do sometimes happen, 

 as for instance when I bred one ELichista Chrysodesmella from among a number of 

 larvae collected near Zurich, which were supposed all to be E. tetragonella, £. Chryso- 

 desmella not being then known to occur in Switzerland ! And again, Herr Miihlig, 

 of Frankfort, has bred a single specimen of Gelechia Hiibneri from amongst a number 

 of lafvae of G. fraternella which I had sent to him from here, G. Hiibneri being a 

 species I have never taken, and the larva of it not having hitherto been observed ! 

 But to imagine that out of a number of larvae being found by Mr. D'Orville, some of 

 which he handed to Mr. Parfitt, the larvae retained by Mr. D'Orville should all produce 

 CE. minutella and no other species, whilst those he gave to Mr. Parfitt should produce 

 CE. tripuncta and no other species, is far beyond tlie limits of probability. No doubt 

 by some accident ibe pupre were changed, lliou^h how ? it is impossible to say. — H. T. 

 Stainton ; Mountsfeld, Lewisharn, June 9, 1860. 



Occwrcnce of Badislcr peltatus and Anchomenus livens in Lincolnshire. — I spent 

 a couple of days this spring in the neighbourhood of Boston, Lincolnshire, with my 



