Entomological Society. 5085 



by Mr. Newman, was figured by Burmeister in his ' Handbuch.' With regard to the 

 snow-white covering of the insect, he had no doubt it was a modification of the waxy 

 secretion common to many of the Homoptera. 



Mr. Waterhouse observed that the fine powder on the Coleopterous genus Lixus 

 had also been regarded as a waxy secretion. 



Mr. Curtis communicated the following extracts from a letter addressed to him by 

 Dr. Maclean, of Colchester : — 



Economy of Gonepteryx Rhamni. 



" Gonepteryx Rhamni assumes its perfect state in the end of July or beginning of 

 August. I have bred numbers of them. In a fortnight or month, according to the 

 state of the weather, they become very fat, containing within them also a large bag of 

 honey, and in a short time afterwards but very few are to be seen. For several seasons 

 in succession I imprisoned some of these fat specimens, and placed them in a northern 

 aspect in cases of wood and earthenware, in which I placed rough pieces of old de- 

 cayed bark of trees, &c. Several specimens lived through the winter: they appeared 

 to be dead during cold weather, but after being in a warm room for an hour or much 

 less I believe, they began to crawl about and expand the wings. If fine, that is very 

 mild, weather sets in for a few days during the winter months these insects become 

 quite active, endeavouring to escape from their prison. Who has not occasionally 

 seen a specimen either in November, December or January ? The female places her 

 eggs on the buds of Rhamnus Frangula, just before they begin to expand, in the 

 spring of the year. The larva is full grown by the beginning of July, and when not 

 feeding rests on the midrib of the leaf, which is first covered with delicate shining 

 silk. Old worn specimens of the perfect insect may be seen occasionally as late as 

 the end of June." 



Economy of JBryophila perla. 



" I discovered a larva in tolerable abundance last spring, feeding on minute 

 lichens, on our old walls, which turned out to be that of a beautiful little moth, Bryo- 

 phila perla. The economy is singular. It lives in a tent during the day, and comes 

 out to feed at night and on wet and dull afternoons. It has a room at the back of its 

 tent also, in which it ultimately turns to a chrysalis." 



Longevity of a small Lepidopterous Larva. 



" About three or four years ago I found some very minute larvae in silken cocoons, 

 amongst some bran and old paper, in which I kept meal-worms. One of these larva? 

 lived in a glass phial for three years, as nearly as I can guess, having attached its co- 

 coon to the bottom of the phial, so that I could see the creature from without. The 

 cocoon was composed of silk, bran and paper, and fresh bran was occasionally put into 

 the phial." 



The name of the moth produced from this larva was not mentioned. 



Memoirs read. 



Mr. Pascoe read some descriptions of new genera and species of Longicorn beetles 

 from Borneo, Malacca and China. 



