Insects. 4031 



Here I should mention some larvae of Coleophora which have been 

 observed in this country, but from which the perfect insects not 

 having been reared, we are unaware to what species they should be 

 referred. 



1. A larva in a cylindrical case, feeding on the seeds of Atriplex* 



and Chenopodium in September and October. I have found 

 this plentifully here, and sparingly in Sussex and Devonshire ; 

 Mr. Grant finds it at Putney, and Mr. Shield near Dublin. The 

 larvae continue in that state until the following June, hence the 

 difficulty in rearing them. This species has been mentioned by 

 Zeller in the Linn. Ent. iv. 354, as perhaps the larva of flava- 

 ginella. The cases on Atriplex did not escape the acute obser- 

 vation of Reaumur, who says " I have found a species attached 

 to the seeds of the Atriplex," (iii. 121). 



2. A larva feeding on elm in June and July, in a case much larger 



than that of fuscedinella. Mrs. Stainton found it at Sutton, June 

 23rd and July 6th. I have subsequently found it here, though 

 by no means common. It is probably the larva of limosipennella. 



3. A larva in a most singular case, on hawthorn and apple, in July 



and August. I first observed this last summer, but did not suc- 

 ceed in rearing the perfect insect. The case is generally formed 

 of an entire leaf, but as the larva only inhabits a narrow cylin- 

 drical fold in the middle of it, the sides of the leaf project, and 

 one side is generally more or less turned over ; we thus see a 

 withered brown leaf endowed with powers of locomotion, and 

 becoming a true folium ambulans. 1 have doubted whether 

 it could indeed be the case of a larva of this genus, but Profes- 

 sor Zeller, to whom I showed some when he was here last sum- 

 mer, was unable to imagine that it could belong to any other. 



4. A larva feeding on birch, in autumn, in a case much like that of 



No. 2. T found this in Devonshire last September, and Mr. 

 Wilkinson found it at West Wickham ; all our larvae died, and 

 hence the name of the perfect insect has not been ascertained. 



5. A larva feeding on meadowsweet (Spiraea Ulmaria), found by 



Mr. Douglas at the beginning of July, in a case somewhat simi- 

 lar to that of fuscedinella. 



6. A larva mentioned by Mr. Rennie in ' Insect Architecture ' (p. 



226), on stinging nettle? (Urtica ?). u We have just discovered 

 (Nov. 4, 1829) upon the nettle, a tent of a very singular appear- 



* See Postscript, p. 4036. 



