4682 Entomological Botany. 



larva attached to it, though I am strongly disposed to think that seve- 

 ral species of Micro-Lepidopterous larvae might be found if the flax- 

 fields were carefully examined by the entomologists who happen to 

 be located in their vicinity. 



Impatiens Noli-me-tangere. Yellow Balsam. 



Why should we use Noli-me-tangere as a specific name for a plant, 

 and yet scruple to use Pavonia-minor for a moth ? — if names com- 

 posed of two words are objectionable, why use a name composed of 

 three ? 



Speyer gives Coremia ligustrata as feeding on this plant, the larva 

 being figured on it by Hiibner ; Duponchel says it feeds on several 

 low plants, and not on the privet ; hence no doubt some purist in no- 

 menclature would like to change its name, though I have no doubt, if 

 the name itself could speak, it would say " Noli-me-tangere." 



Oxalis Aceiosella. Wood Sorrel. 



This pretty little plant, with its delicate green leaves and graceful 

 white flowers, is partial to woods, showing itself from beneath the 

 fallen leaves simultaneously with the more robust wood Anemone 

 (Anemone nemorosa). The Oxalis Acetosella is not known as the 

 special food-plant of any Lepidopterous larva; but two Noctuae (not 

 hitherto known as British), Mesogona Acetosellae and M. Oxalinae, 

 have received their names from it : the larvae of these feed on various 

 low plants in May and June. 



Euonymus Europceus. Spindle- tree. 



A common shrub in hedges and woods. Speyer enumerates as 

 feeding on the spindle, Acherontia Atropos, Ennomos evonymaria 

 a Geometra, in spite of the abundance of its food-plant with us, not 

 hitherto detected as British), and Zerene adustata. One of the most 

 interesting of the spindle-feeders is Acrobasis angustella, of which I 

 believe only two British specimens are extant; it is double-brooded, 

 the larva feeding in July between united leaves, and in the autumn in 

 the fruit of the plant : strange that with this knowledge we cannot 

 find the insect ! It is on this plant that three species of Hyponomeuta 

 feed, II. Evonymellus, H. irrorellus and H. plumbellus; H. Evony- 

 mellus is, indeed, notorious for its occurring on spindle-bushes, fre- 

 quently to such an extent as completely to defoliate them ; and the 

 ignorant, of course, concluding that the caterpillars that made white 



