GYMNANCYLA CANELLA. 245 



the bend opposite West Wittering Point, and close to 

 the shore but not on it, there are some sandy patches 

 with a few plants of Salsola halt. On these Mr. 

 Henry Terry found a larva, and on a piece of the 

 plant brought home for food there chanced to be 

 another and smaller larva of the same species. On 

 the 11th of September Mr. Thomson accompanied me 

 to East Hayling to the exact spot just mentioned, and 

 there, on the plants of Salsola kali, within a few yards 

 we collected 150 of these larvae. Their little webs, 

 which would ordinarily escape observation, now became 

 the means of our finding them to a certainty, owing to 

 the weather of the day or two previous. Heavy rain 

 had fallen and high wind succeeded, and the wind had 

 blown the sand into their webs, which remained to 

 show us whereabouts the larvse were. 



The egg state I have not yet observed, and I will 

 not obtrude any guess as to when or where the egg is 

 laid. 



The young larva, when less than one quarter of its 

 full growth, mines within the stem of Salsola hali, 

 generally in the side shoots ; but when it has reached 

 half-growth it seems to change its abode and to go 

 outside and attack the unripe seeds, and then setting 

 out from the cavity thus made, to burrow into the 

 main stem, where it continues to feed in concealment 

 until nearly fully grown ; during this period of its 

 existence its presence may be detected in the following 

 manner ; it protects the entrance hole of its burrow 

 with a few exceedingly fine silk threads, and should a 

 rainy day be succeeded by a high wind these threads 

 will retain many particles of sand blown over them 

 whilst yet damp, and will thus become much more 

 conspicuous than when in their more usual condition. 



When the larva is near its full growth it ceases to 

 mine, and coming outside weaves for itself a delicate 

 cylindrical web in which it lies, often, however, chang- 

 ing its position, and sometimes trusting for protection 

 only to its resemblance in colour to the stem on which 



