108 



[September, 



Que>-y concerning Choerocam^a Elpenor. — A friend of mine had a larva, about an 

 inch long, of C. Elpenor^ brought to him about three weeks since, which was found 

 on log-beam near here. We afterwards found about twenty at the same spot, and 

 also three or four feeding on bed -straw. I had four pupse from these, and this 

 morning, to my surprise, two imagos had emerged. Has any other entomologist 

 experienced this unusual occurrence ? 



My friend had a Smerinthus populi, apparently fresh from the pupa, given to 

 him about a week since. Could this be from a last year's larva ? — A. Matthews, 

 Oxford, August 5th, 1868. 



*#* We have no doubt that these insects pertained to a second brood, de- 

 veloped through the unprecedented heat of the present summer. Similar instances 

 constantly occur in hot seasons [vide preceding note]. — Eds. 



Description of the larva of Fidonia pinetaria, Huh. (hrunneata^ Steph.J. — In 

 October, 1867, Mr. Buckler sent me five eggs of this species, which had been kindly 

 given to him by Dr. Buchanan White, of Perth. On receiving them, I examined 

 them carefully under my microscope, and made the following description : — 



The egg is oval in outline, but flattened, the upper-side being even depressed 

 in the middle ; the whole surface covered with reticulations — generally hexagons, 

 but some only pentagons, in shape ; and at each angle where the lines of the 

 reticulation meet, there is a little raised bright white knob (a peculiarity I have 

 not yet observed in any other egg), the whole egg looking as if set with tiny pearls, 

 on a ground-colour of shining salmon-pink. 



About the end of February, 1868, the eggs grew darker, and between March 

 2nd and 8th four larvas emerged, the fifth dying unhatched. After a little hesitation 

 they began to eat buds of whortle-berry (7acciniummi/riiZlws), but somehow, within 

 a few days, two of them died. The two survivors, however, grew on steadily ; and 

 from being dark brown at their first appearance, after a moult or two began to 

 assume a striped dress : the ground-colour was now pale grey — almost white ; the 

 dorsal and supra- spiracular lines almost black, with an intermediate sub-dorsal line 

 of brown j and the spiracular stripe tinged with yellow. 



About April 24th the larger of the two larvae seemed full-grown. At that 

 time it was rather over half-an-inch in length, of uniform bulk, cylindrical, the head 

 horny, the skin smooth, but puckered along the spiracles. The colomdng was 

 disposed in a multiplicity of fine lines, which I now give in duo order. 



The dorsal line — widening in the middle of each segment — dark green, closely 

 edged with almost black threads j then a thin white hne ; then the sub-dorsal line 

 of pale pinkish-brown outlined with darker brown ; then another thin white line ; 

 then three olive -brown lines (the middle one palest, and the lower one dai-kest), 

 partly showing distinct, and partly run together, so as to form a stripe just above 

 the spiracles. 



The spiracular line broad, white, but tinged with yellow in the centre of each 

 segment. The belly of a dirty white, with some oblique dashes, and lines of brown. 



This larva went to earth at the end of April, and the moth from it appeared on 

 June 1st. — J. Hellins, Exeter, June 23r(i, 1868. 



