1228 Insects. 



Larva of Acronycta Alni. — Having observed a communication in * The Zoologist ' 

 (Zool. 1140), respecting the larva of Acronycta Alni, I beg to offer you the following 

 observations. In August, 1843, a fine larva of this moth being given to me, I imme- 

 diately placed it in my breeding-box; the next morning it had disappeared, and I saw 

 no more of it until June 8th, 1844, when I had the finest and most beautifully marked 

 male specimen I ever saw. This individual had not formed a cocoon of dried leaves, 

 but had penetrated more than an inch into the loose soil contained in the box, and 

 there formed its cell. This year I again found three of these beautiful larvae, the 

 first on August 17th, crawling on an old gate-post beneath an oak-tree ; I gave it a 

 variety of food, but it refused to eat, and in a few days I had the mortification to find 

 various sized maggots in place of my larva?, of which the skin was laid open without 

 the slightest vestige of inside remaining. The evening before these destroyers made 

 their appearance, the larva was moving about quite lively. The fact of caterpillars 

 retaining the powers of locomotion, &c. as in this case, after the whole, or nearly so, of 

 the muscular portions have been consumed is truly wonderful. The other two speci- 

 mens were found on August 27th and September 4th, both on the ground. They were 

 supplied with many kinds of leaves, including ash and birch, but they both refused, 

 and after shedding the whole of their curious spines, apparently from some disease, 

 both died. — John R. Hawley ; Hall Gate, Doncaster. 



Larvm of Odontopera bidentata. — The number of larvae of Odontopera bidentata 

 which have made their appearance here this autumn has been quite unprecedented. 

 The wet and chilly weather, so injurious in its effects on some larvae, seems to have been 

 rather favourable to these. When returning from mothing last night, I counted no 

 less than twenty-four by the light of the lamp, upon a jasmine-bush in front of the 

 house ; their appearance being very singular, hanging by their pro-legs from the twigs 

 in all directions. They are not to be seen during the day, — concealing themselves in 

 the withered leaves next the wall ; their colour is very variable, some being ferrugi- 

 nous brown, some nearly black, while others are cream-coloured with delicate 

 chequered markings. — R. F. Logan ; Hawthorn Brae, Duddingston, near Edinburgh, 

 September 10th, 1845. 



Capture of Peroneee or Buttons at Hainault Forest. — It has' long been the practice 

 of entomologists at the close of the season to take a journey of nearly a hundred miles 

 to the New Forest in Hampshire, that being the most celebrated locality for the cap- 

 ture of this most interesting genus of insects : it now appears that nearly all 

 the species may be taken within twelve miles of London. The following were taken in 

 Hainault Forest by Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Hindley, and myself: — P. cristana, P. albo- 

 flammana, P. albovittana, P. subvittana, P. Desfontainiana, P. fulvovittana, P. 

 semiuslana, P. brunnea, P. spadiceana, P. striana, P. subcristalana, P. unicolorana 

 (Desv.), P. Chantana, P. profanana.— H. J. Harding, 1, York Street, Church Street, 

 Shoreditch. 



Pseudotomia atromargana and strobilella. — These insects which have hitherto been 

 recorded as two species are but the sexes of one. My brothers and I captured 

 a large number of them in Hyde Park, in May last, several amongst them in copuld. 

 I think the larvae feed under the bark of the oak-trees, as a great number of small dark 

 pupa cases were found protruding from the bark of the trees at the same time the moths 

 were captured. — Henry Longley ; 1 , Eaton Place, North Row, Park Street, Grosvenor 

 Square. 



