Entomological Botany. 4557 



Ephyra omicronaria. The larva of Dictyopteryx Forskaliana is ex- 

 cessively abundant on this plant at the end of June, and the pupa may 

 be conveniently collected in the leaves which have a corner turned 

 down very closely. The active larva of Gelechia scriptella may be 

 found in September doubling the leaves nearly in half, and tying the 

 sides together by some strong silken cables. In July and in October 

 the leaves are apt to have a slight distortion at the edges, caused by 

 the larvae of Lithocolletis sylvella, which establishes its puckered mine 

 on the under side of the leaf. No larva, either of a Coleophora or a 

 Nepticula, has yet been observed on the maple. The seeds, or 

 " keys " as they are sometimes called, merit attention, as probably 

 they will be found to afford nourishment to more than one species of 

 insect : I once found a Lepidopterous larva in one. 



Acer Pseudo-platanus. Sycamore. 



The larva of Acronycta Aceris, one of the most beautiful we have, 

 frequents this tree, though also partial to the horse-chestnut ; Speyer 

 also enumerates the larvae of Odoptera lunaria, O.illunaria, O. illustraria, 

 Ptycholoma Lecheana, and Gracilaria rufipennella ; the larva of the 

 last-named species forms cones on the leaves (similar to those of 

 G. stigmatella on sallows and willows) in the month of June. 



JKsculus hippocastamim. Horse-Chestnut. 



Though not an indigenous tree, I am obliged to mention it here, 



it being too important entomologically to be overlooked ; the wood is 



eaten by the larva of Zeuzera ^Esculi, and the leaves by the larva of 



Acronycta Aceris and Anisopteryx ^Escularia. The larva of Buc- 



culatrix Hippocastanella should be found on the leaves in June and 



at the end of August, and this is the only Tineina larva at present 



known to frequent this stately tree. 



H. T. Stainton. 

 Mountsfield, Lewishara, 



January, 1855. 



(To be continued). 



Professor Bailey s mode of giving Permanent Flexibility to Natural- History Speci- 

 mens. — The mode of application which I have employed is to immerse the dry 

 specimen for some lime in a neutral saturated solution of chloride of calcium, which 

 any one can make for himself, by saturating hydrochloric acid with marble, and then, 

 after the specimen has become sufficiently softened to bend easily, remove it, and let 

 it drain in the open air. In some cases, where the specimens do not imbibe the salt 

 XIII. E 



