Insects. 4107 



into contact with its feet, and, after tugging for a few seconds at something that ap- 

 peared to offer a formidable resistance, it erected itself with a sudden jerk and a nod- 

 ding motion of two horn-like processes on its head, at the same time vigorously plying 

 two strong-looking limbs on the upper part of its body. After watching it for some 

 time, and seeing it frequently repeat these movements with the greatest energy, T 

 managed to secure it, and found that the object on which it had been bestowing so 

 much attention was a small Rissoa. With what design the tiny mollusk was thus 

 treated I am unable to state ; but, as it appeared to be uninjured, I think it probable 

 that it was itself the tormentor, and that the Crustacean wanted to get rid of it. What- 

 ever the creature may be, it does not seem to be very rare, as I have since found other 

 four. I have sent you that first obtained, which is by far the largest. I shall be glad 

 to learn the name of it, and any other particulars you may be disposed to communi- 

 cate. Its griffin-like appearance, fiery eye, strange movements, and immense activity, 

 would be terrific in a large animal. I have been much interested in observing it. 

 After bringing it home, I put it into a bottle of sea-water containing some twigs of 

 Sertularia argentea. I then found that it has two modes of progression : the first is 

 similar to that of the Hydra, with which doubtless you are familiar, I mean that par- 

 ticular style in which the head always takes the lead ; by this method it clambered 

 over the zoophyte with surprising agility. The other is a swimming movement, effected 

 by drawing up the feet towards the head, and then striking them out ; this is done ra- 

 pidly, but the process is slow and awkward." This was communicated to me by Mr. 

 Murray in May last. — G. Gordon ; Birnie, by Elgin, N. B.> October 7, 1853. 



Note on the occurrence of Sphinx Convolvuli at Bridgwater. — About two weeks ago 

 I took in my garden, near Bridgwater, a fine specimen of the Convolvulus hawk-moth 

 (Sphinx Convolvuli). This insect is, I believe, rare everywhere in Britain ; it is so 

 rare in this part of the country, that the only other specimen I remember to have heard 

 of, is one taken by me more than twenty years ago, in a court-yard in Bridgwater. — 

 Thomas Clark ; Halesleigh, October 10, 1853. 



[This insect was most abundant in England in 1846, and captures of hundreds of 

 specimens were recorded in the ' Zoologist ' for that year. — E. iV.] 



Larva of Acherontia Atropos feeding on the Tuber of the Potato. — The larvae of 

 the death's-head moth (Acherontia Atropos) have been unusually plentiful in our neigh- 

 bourhood this summer. This larva appears to prefer for its food the tuber of the potato 

 rather than the leaves ; indeed, a friend of mine tells me he could never get it to eat 

 the leaves, but meeting with one lately which, like the rest, refused the leaves, it oc- 

 curred to him to offer it slices of the tuber, when the creature instantly seized them, 

 and fed voraciously. — Id. 



The Larva of Cerula Vinula using Fragments of Potato in its Cocoon. — An instance 

 of the ability which caterpillars possess of forming their cocoons of a material foreign 

 to their usual habits, occurred to my friend at the same time. He had a full-grown 

 larva of the puss-moth (Cerura Vinula), which was placed in a glass vessel with slices 

 of potato, and with these it formed a cocoon as complete and beautiful as it could have 

 done with the material it usually employs, the willow- wood. — Id. 



