6542 Insects. 



upwards from the hole ; then holding by its muscular foot, it drew its shell gradually 

 down. This would have produced a perpendicular and very inefficient action hut for 

 a wise provision of Nature. The edges of the valves are not joined close together, but 

 are connected by a membrane (extension of the mantle), and instead of being joined 

 at the hinge (umbo) like ordinary bivalves, they possess an extra plate, attached to 

 each valve of the shell, which is necessary for the following operation. In boring, this 

 mollusk, having dilated itself with water, draws dowu its shell within the hole, gradually 

 closing the lower anterior edges until they almost touch. It then raises its shell 

 upwards, gradually opening the lower anterior edges and closing the upper, thus boring 

 both upwards and downwards. The spines are placed in rows, like the teeth of a saw ; 

 those towards the lower part of the shell being sharp and pointed, while those above, 

 being now useless, are not renewed. So far for the mode of boring ; but how to account 

 for the holes fitting the shape of the animal inhabiting them ? I boldly assert that 

 this is only the case when the animal is found in the same rock or wood which it 

 entered when small. This mollusk evidently bores merely to protect its fragile shell, 

 and not from the love of excavating ; and in this opinion I am borne out by my own 

 specimens. The young Pholas, therefore, having found a substance suitable for its 

 habitation, ceases to bore immediately that it has buried its shell below the surface. 

 It remains quiescent until its increasing growth requires a renewal of its labours. It 

 thus continues working deeper and deeper until the substance fails ; when it has nothing 

 for it but to bore through, and seek a fresh place, where it may find a safe retreat. 

 The scrapings, &c, made during the operation of boring are expelled with considerable 

 force from the syphonal tube. — John Ross ; Talacre, Rhyl, North Wales, April 9, 

 1859. 



Larva of Coremia munitaria. — Last June, Mr. Chapman, of Glasgow, kindly sent 

 me eight eggs of the above. They hatched the day after they reached me. Mr. Chap- 

 man did not know their proper food, so I tried dandelion, but they did not like it. I 

 then tempted them with groundsel, which they devoured with avidity. After the first 

 moult, three died, and the remaining five seemed disposed to follow their example. 

 However tbey continued to eat slowly, without increasing much in size throughout the 

 summer and autumn. In January they began to feed again, rapidly increasing in size*. 

 By the beginning of March, they were full fed, and about a fortnight since became 

 pupae. The following is a description of the larva, when full fed. Length, one inch ; 

 ground colour, dull green or brown, very variable ; segments pink or flesh-coloured. 

 The body is slightly sprinkled with black dots, with two very distinct blotches on the 

 sixth and seventh segments, the latter being the largest. The caterpillar spins up in 

 moss, and the pupa is brown. I am now breeding lovely specimens (forced) of Eupi- 

 thecia assirailaria from larvae beaten off black currants. As I do not wish to anticipate 

 my friend Mr. Crewe, I wilhold any description of the larva. — J. Greene ; Cubley 

 Rectory, Doveridge, Derby, April 8, 1859. 



On the Solenobice of Lancashire, fyc. — Lately the weather has been so changeable 

 here that I kept postponing my journey to the Moors for my S. triquetrella, but I went 

 on Friday : the first thing that occurred after my arrival at the locality was nearly two 

 hours rain ; I then turned over at least a ton weight of big stones, and found the cases 

 sought were very scarce, and, after all my trouble, the larvae had in every case already 

 assumed the pupa state, so that all my labour was thrown away, and another year must 



