24 



[June, 



Ahundaiice of the Im'voe of MelitcBa Cinwia. — The cliffs near Ventnor are now 

 literally swarming with the larvae of Melitoca Cinxia, feeding on the narrow-leaved 

 plantain, in the orthodox manner. They are in all stages of growth, from quite 

 small to nearly full-grown. It is impossible to walk from Ventnor to St. Lawrence 

 by the cliff-walk without finding thousands. I have not seen any of the chrysalides. 

 Excepting these, there do not seem to be many insects here ; unless, perhaps, oil- 

 beetles.— L. M. S. Pasley, St. Lawrence, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, April 20th, 1868. 



Xylomyges conspicillaris, ^c. — I bred a very fine example of Z. conspicillaris 

 on the 4th of this month. I did not expect this reward for my last autumn pupa- 

 digging, for in no other season in my life did I ever meet with so few pupae. After 

 a day's march and toil, the result was generally only about eight or ten Tceniocampce : 

 some days T turned up a Smerinthus or an Amphidasis. Upon the 22nd February 

 I bred a crippled ? A. prod/romaria, very early, I thought, as the pupa was kept in 

 a cold northward room. I placed her upon the bole of an elm tree in my garden, 

 and in the morning a (J was in attendance close by her side. This, too, was very 

 early for its appearance, after the middle of Mai'ch being the usual time, about 

 which period I bred several this season ; also T. populeti, T. mimda, 8. illuno.Ha, and 

 other common spring species. Some of the V. urticce that liybemated in my house 

 took flight more than a fortnight ago, others yet remain waiting for warmer 

 weather, as wc have had severe frosts nearly every night during the last three 

 weeks. Two or three fine Q. lihatrix are still lodging upon my cellar walls. I have 

 been sugaring several times, but not one moth appeared. — Abraham Edmunds, 

 Cemetery House, Astwood Road, Worcester, April lK>th, 1868. 



Dianthoscia capsophila bred. — During the month of April I bred a few fine 

 dark varieties of this species. The first insect appeared on the 1st, and the last on 

 the 29th, of that month — Chas. Campbell, 14, Blackburn Street, Upper Moss Lane, 

 Hulme, Manchester, May 11th, 1868. 



Early appearances. — Saturnia carpini. — A female came to light on April 24th, 

 near Bromley, Kent ; she deposited a few eggs next day. Smerinthus tilia;. — A 

 male was taken near this place May 4th.— H. JeNner-Fust, jun., Hill Court, 

 Berkeley, May 9th, 1868. 



Superabimdance of Abraxas grossulariata. — We have this year a perfect plague 

 of the larva of this common insect, which has appeared in immense numbers in all, 

 the gardens hereabouts. I have seldom noticed it to attack anything but the red- 

 and white-currant bushes, but this year scarcely anything has escaped its ravages ; 

 red, white, and black currants, gooseberries, apple-trees, hollyhocks, cabbages ; 

 indeed, there is scarcely a vegetable or flower which has not more or less of the 

 pest upon it. In our own garden the larvae came out veiy early, feeding updn the 

 unopened buds of the gooseberry, which they devoured so effectually that many of 

 the smaller bushes never showed a leaf, and latterly many of the larger ones have 

 been completely cleared of foliage, fruit, and young shoots. — T. J. Bolp. 



