148 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Immense Numbers of Triphoina fimbria. — In April last 

 I observed an immense number of larvae ; I found a dozen on 

 a very small mountain ash, and swarms crawling up the 

 trunks of oaks, &c. I thought they ruust be Fimbria, but 

 could scarcely believe it on account of the numbers ; I have, 

 however, succeeded in breeding some, and find them to be 

 that species ; an old collector of fifty years' experience says 

 he has only met with it occasionally, but this year at Sutton 

 Park they were by far the most numerous of all Noctua larva. 

 — Frederick Enock ; 75, Ryland Road, Edgbaston, Birming- 

 ham, June 22, 1870. 



Diacatiihoecia Cucuball and Hecatera serena in West- 

 meath. — A visitor in this neighbourhood captured a specimen 

 each of D. Cucubali and H. serena last week ; 1 saw both 

 specimens : these moths had not previously been taken in 

 Westmeath. — F, I. Battersby ; Cromlyn, Rathoven, Co. 

 Westmeath. 



Coleophora vibicella, — 1 have discovered the larvae of this 

 beautiful species in abundance. The perfect insect is now 

 appearing. — F. O. Standish ; 2, Alfred Cottages, Warner 

 Road, Camberwell, S.E. 



Saw/ly Larva feeding within the Stem of a Fern. — Year 

 after year I have endeavoured to make out the cause' of an 

 extraordinary mass of froth-like whip-syllabub which appears 

 here on the leaf-stalks of the lady fern ; and I have so far 

 succeeded as to ascertain that it is caused by the larva of a 

 sawfly which feeds in the interior of the stalk, making one or 

 more lateral apertures, through which this vast quantity of 

 froth issues. Having removed the froth, which is excessively 

 sticky, adhering to the finger as tenaciously as marmalade or 

 other saccharine esculents, I found the stipes discoloured, 

 and of a dark brown colour instead of a vivid green. On 

 opening the stalks with a penknife, I found in each a single 

 sawfly larva, of which the following is a description. I ought 

 to say that on being ejected it threw itself on its back, turned 

 over and over, and wriggled on the paper with much vigour 

 and activity. Head exserted, nearly globular, but flattened 

 on the face, transparent pale brown, with black ocelli ; the 

 12th segment has four spine-like processes, two on each side 

 and directed outwards; the 13th segment is somewhat con- 

 cave dorsally, its edges are dilated and divided into three 



