Entomological Society. 3889 



" Elm. — Smerinthus Tiliae (why this insect should be called the lime hawk-moth 

 T know not ; I have found dozens of pupae at the roots of elm, but not one at lime), 

 Petasia cassinea, Taeniocampa rubricosa, T. Populeti, T. munda, Cosmia diffinis, Xy- 

 lina semibrunnea, Anisopteryx iEscularia $ and £, Hibemia leucophaearia $ and 

 £ , H. aurantiaria $ and £ , &c. 



" Oak. — Considering the number of larvae that feed upon oak, T have been sur- 

 prised at finding so few pupae at it. This, 1 suppose, is partly owing to the fact, that 

 a considerable number of the insects whose larvae feed upon oa!*, do not pass the win- 

 ter in the pupa state. However, when you do succeed in getting one, it is generally 

 good ; and I have found Notodonta trepida, N. Chaonia, N. Dodonaea, Geometra 

 Papilionaria, Biston Prodromaria, &c. I was much surprised to find, on two occa- 

 sions, the empty cocoon of Cerura Vinula on the trunk of an oak. 



" Ash. — Poecilocampa Populi, Acronycta Ligustri, Geometra Lunaria, G. illus- 

 traria, &c, &c. 



" Beech. — This and the poplar are the best trees. At the former I have found 

 Lithosia rubricollis, L. aureola, Orgyia Coryli, Notodonta Camelina, Tephrosia conso- 

 naria, &c. ; at the latter, Phragmatobia mendica, Poecilocampa Populi, Cerura bifida, 

 C. furcula, Ptilodontis palpina, Notodonta Dictaea, N. Dictaeoides, Ciostera curtula, 

 Ceropacha Or, C. ocularis, Ypsipites ruberaria, &c. 



" And now a word with regard to localities. Meadows and parks with scattered 

 timber trees are decidedly the best localities : being near a wood seems no advantage. 

 It is, however, a very curious fact, that the nearer these meadows or parks are to inha- 

 bited places, as towns, villages, or even a single farm-house, the more abundant are 

 the pupae. I have observed this repeatedly, and in the most marked manner. I may 

 mention two examples. Nine specimens of Notodonta Dodonaea were all obtained at 

 the roots of an oak about a dozen yards from a farm-house; and though I searched up- 

 wards of forty trees in the neighbouring fields, I could not find a pupa of any kind 

 whatever. At the same tree I found Biston Prodromaria and Taeniocampa Gothica. 

 Again, the winter before last (1851-52), being in Dublin, I went to the Phoenix Park 

 to dig. So long as I continued near the city, I found the commoner sorts of pupae in 

 plenty; but the further I retired from it, the scarcer they became : until, at about 

 three miles distance, I could not find one. I should be very glad to see some expla- 

 nation of this curious circumstance. Perhaps it may partly be accounted for on the 

 supposition that the parent moth is attracted by the lights in the houses, and lays her 

 eggs on the neighbouring trees. 



" Next to parks and meadows I place woods. Searching in woods, however, is a 

 tedious and fatiguing affair, and to search successfully requires some experience. Per- 

 haps the following hints may prove useful. It is in vain to examine the dense portions ; 

 it is equally vain to dig at the roots of trees, with few exceptions : and you will rarely 

 find anything, unless upon trees of considerable growth. The thick moss which col- 

 lects about the trunks and roots, is the part to be examined. Bombyces are generally 

 (almost invariably) found under the moss which covers spreading roots, and not on the 

 trunks. The best localities in woods are the borders and open places. It is curious 

 that such places when elevated, or facing the North, are generally the most productive. 



" There remains one other locality — hedge-rows. These maybe dismissed in a 



few words : it is perfectly useless to try them. I do not think I have found a dozen 



pupae in such places : why it should be so I cannot tell. There are, of course, other 



localities, but as I have never tried them, I am uuable to give any opinion on them. 



XI, Z 



