Insects. 5167 



Habit of Heusimene fimbriana. — April 16. Went to the " Brushes," with the in- 

 tention of rinding Heusimene fimhriana: took it hy beating the oaks. Its habit is to 

 fall clown, dart down or fly down ; unfortunately the last method is the exeeption, and 

 it requires a really sharp and practised eye to see it fall or dart. When down it lies 

 upon its back, and, on the slightest stir, it gets under the dead leaves by a series of 

 jerks, using its long hind legs as propellers. — [Intelligencer.") 



Elachista tceniatella, Zeller. — This insect, which is new to our Fauna, has been 

 reared by me from the larva found mining the leaves of Brachypodium sylvaticum 

 last September and October (see Ent. Annual, 1856, p. 64). It is closely allied to 

 zonariella and gangabella, but distinguished at once from either of these by its having 

 the cilia of the anterior wings unicolorous. I intend shortly to describe it in the 

 'Transactions of the Entomological Society,' as also Lithocolletis aucupariella, bred 

 by me for some years past from the mountain ash.— John Scott. — \Id.~\ 



Description of Coleophora Vilisella, a Neiv Species of Tineina. — Male : expansion 

 of wings 4 to 5 lines; head and face silvery gray; palpi gray; antennas long and 

 slender, annulated with whitish silvery gray and dark brown, having about twenty- 

 eight annulations; thorax silvery gray; legs light gray, with darker rings; upper 

 wings silvery steel-gray, cilia long, gray ; under wings silvery steel-gray, cilia as the 

 upper wings. Female : expansion of the wings 4^ lines ; head and face light huffish 

 drab or stone colour; palpi light; antenna? silvery gray, annulated as in the male; 

 thorax huffish drab ; abdomen grayish drab ; legs silvery drab ; upper wings silvery 

 huffish drab, cilia the same colour ; under wings as in the male. General appearance 

 of male silvery steel-gray; of female huffish, with silvery steel-gray under wings. 

 Above twenty specimens of this species have been bred by Mr. Hagen, and a few others 

 by myself, from pupae found in crooked cases attached to Vaccinium Vitis-Ida?a at the 

 " Brushes." The larva certainly feeds on the same plant. — C. S. Gregson ; Lancashire, 

 June 20, 1 856. 



Tinea biselliella. — Last week I discovered, to my sorrow, that a couch and sofa of 

 mine were inhabited by thousands of the larva? of T. biselliella (as I think). I hap- 

 pened to be sitting on the couch when I found two or three of these little larva? on it : 

 on a closer examination I found more, which induced me to open the pillow, when oh ! 

 to my horror, I found it stuffed with these disgusting-looking animals. T have had 

 the couch about four years, and never saw the least sign of them before. I then went 

 to look at my sofa, which I have had seven years : I carefully looked it over to see 



" If there was any place 

 Where flesh and blood could creep," 



and felt sure that this at least was safe ; however, I opened the pillow, when 



" Oh ! what a spirit-stirring sight 

 Does to my view unfold," 

 thousauds of larva? eating away at my poor unfortunate sofa: I feel sure that they 

 could not get out when in the perfect state, and that they must have been years, most 

 likely ever since the couch and sofa were made, breeding inside. Can you or any of 

 the numerous readers of the ' Intelligencer ' tell me if it is possible for a moth to live 

 and lay eggs in so very confined a place as inside a sofa or couch? — Arthur Naish ; 

 Brooklyn Lodge, Ashley Hill, Bristol, April 28, 1856. — [Intelligencer.'] 



Nomada borealis. — This bee has appeared in unusual numbers this season, and may 

 now be captured at the N.W. corner of Hampstead Heath. I have taken one male 



