Entomological Society. 3501 



obtained the eggs of depressa, but never those of helveola. Also, on opening the bo- 

 dies of a number of helveola, I could not discover a trace of eggs, whereas the bodies 

 of depressa generally contained a great quantity. Unfortunately, I have not yet been 

 able to rear any larvae from the eggs. 



" It is inexplicable to me how these prominent circumstances in the history of these 

 not uncommon insects should have escaped even our latest and best authors ; and I 

 feel myself so much the more compelled to incite a more exact examination and in- 

 quiry into this and the other species of Lithosia." 



Mr. Douglas also read the following extract from Mr. Fortune's ' Journey to the 

 Tea Countries of China : ' — 



" In the evening we stopped, with some other boats like our own, near a small vil- 

 lage, where we proposed to pass the night. The day had been very warm, and the 

 moschetoes were now becoming very troublesome. The night before this, neither my 

 servant nor myself had beeu able to close our eyes, and I now saw with dread these 

 pests actually swarming around us. Our boatmen, who heard us talking about them, 

 asked Sing-Hoo why he did not go and buy some moscheto tobacco, which they said 

 might be had in the village, and which would drive all the moschetoes out of the boat. 

 I immediately despatched him to procure some of this invaluable substance. In a 

 few minutes he returned with four long sticks in his hand, not unlike those commonly 

 used for burning incense in the temples, only somewhat longer and coarser in appear- 

 ance. He informed me they cost only two cash each — certainly cheap enough if they 

 answered the purpose. 



" Two of these sticks were now lighted and suspended from the roof of the boat. 

 They had not been burning five minutes when every moscheto in the boat sought other 

 quarters. We were quite delighted, and enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep, for 

 which we were most thankful. I had always dreaded these insects during this jour- 

 ney, as I did not carry curtains with me on account of their bulk. I now found, how- 

 ever, that there was no need of them wherever we could procure the moscheto tobacco. 



" Various substances are employed by the Chiuese to drive away moschetoes. This 

 which we had just purchased was made with the sawings of resinous woods — I believe 

 procured from juniper trees — and mixed with some combustible matter to make it 

 burn. A piece of split bamboo, three or four feet in length, is then covered all over 

 with this substance. When finished it is as thick as a rattan or small cane. The up- 

 per end of the bamboo has a slit in it, for hooking on to a nail in the wall or the roof 

 of a boat. When once lighted, it goes on burning upwards until within six inches of 

 the hook, beyond which there is no combustible matter, and it then dies out. A some- 

 what fragrant smell is given out during combustion, which, at a distance, is not disa- 

 greeable. Sometimes the saw-dust is put up in coils of paper, and is then burned on 

 the floors of the houses. Various species of wormwood are likewise employed for the 

 same purpose. The stems and leaves of these plants are twisted and dried, and pro- 

 bably dipped in some preparation to make them burn. 



" The moscheto has a mortal aversion to all these substances, and wherever they 

 are burning, there the little tormentors will not come. I procured the sticks in ques- 

 tion, and burnt them daily after this ; and although the insects were often swarming 

 when I entered the boat or an inn, the moment their ' tobacco' was lighted they quickly 

 disappeared, and left me to sit at my ease, or to enjoy a refreshing sleep. Whoever 



