6030 



Insects 



miDgled with the Poteriura sanguisorba in the locality where I found them. — H, 

 Harpur Crewe ; Stowmarket, February 20, 1858. — Id. 



Larva of Harpalyce sagitt.aria. — Seeing by the 'Intelligencer' that the larva of 

 H. sagittaria appears to be unknown, I beg to send you the following description 

 with particulars: — Larva pale drab, with several fine and distinct lines of a dark 

 drab colour running parallel down the sides; a chain of rhornbus-shaped markings 

 of the same colour down the centre of the back, one on each segment, with a central 

 spot in each also dark drab. In July, 1855, I captured a female, which laid nearly 

 thirty eggs ; they hatched in about ten days. I fed the larvae upon arrow-head 

 {Sagittaria) ; they seemed to prefer the flowers, but they ate sparingly and grew very 

 slowly, as by the end of September they appeared only three parts grown; their num- 

 ber had also diminished to about eight or nine. I then gave them to Mr. Bond, who 

 kept them alive till October, but they afterwards died. From my failure to rear thera 

 I conclude either that the larva hybernales or that Sagittaria is not their proper food. 

 — Thomas Brown; 13, King's Parade, Cambridge, March 5, 1858. — Id. 



Flavicinctaria and Ccesiaria. — In M. Guenee's work on Geometrae, I understand 

 he unites two species, and makes them varieties of one and the same ; I allude to 

 flavicinctaria and caesiaria. I believe I can prove that these species are distinct: 

 when in Scotland, last summer, I took and examined fully 1000 specimens of 

 caesiaria, and in no instance could I find any of that beautiful deep yellow, which is 

 one of the most striking colours in flavicinctaria. In the month of July I took some 

 larvae feeding on the common heath : they were new to me ; they were of a dark 

 colour, with some purple angular markings on the back : in August these produced 

 caesiaria. This insect swarms on all the mountains in Perthshire, and is equally 

 abundant in the valleys and on the mountain tops: wherever there is heath there is 

 caesiaria. After this species has been out about three weeks, if you go up the burns 

 or mountain water-courses, but at some elevation, you will find flavicinctaria just 

 out. Of course, as caesiaria is everywhere, you will see them along with flavi- 

 cinctaria, but you will not find the latter species at any distance from the water- 

 courses, as the larva feeds on Saxifrage, which only grows in the burns. Another 

 instance of the specific distinctness of the insects is that, though they are both found 

 at rest on the faces of rocks, caesiaria is excessively restless, and flies ofi" before you 

 can get to them to box them, but all the flavicinctaria are left behind. — H.J. 

 Harding ; 1, York Street, Church Street, Shoredilch, March 8, 1858. [M. Guenee, 

 in his Errata and Addenda, admits that our flavicinctata must be considered distinct, 

 but doubts whether it be the Continental species known by that name. However, 

 Freyer, who treats of the larva of the Continental flavicinctata, says it feeds on 

 Saxifraga petraea ; the larva he figures as dull green, with a row of reddish white 

 dorsal triangles.] — Id. 



Undescribed GeometrcB Larva. — I have repeatedly bred Cabera rotundaria from 

 the larva, which feeds on birch ; it is very similar to the larva of pusaria, but, 

 I think, is rather thicker towards the abdomen, and I believe does not vary from 

 pale green to quite brown, as the latter does: the larva of rotundaria is pale 

 green. I bred a specimen of Bapla temeraria from a beautiful bright green larva, 

 with a red head and marked with red on each segment: it was beat from a wild 

 cherry tree at Joydon Wood, in September, and the insect appeared last June. The 

 larva of Cheimatobia borearia is not uncommon at West Wickhara, in June, on 



