8694 



Mollusks — Insects, 



Physa fontinalis in Brackish Water. — During a short tour in Lincolnshire last 

 season, I met with this species abundantly in decidedly brackish water. It occurred 

 near Burlon Slather, on the banks of the river Trent, in a dyke at one time closed by 

 a natural embankment, but at the time of my visit open at one end to the river, which 

 obtained free ingress at high water (ihe tide flows- as far as Gainsborough). The bed 

 oi' the d\ke being lower than the mouth, there appeared to be always a sufficient 

 supply of water to sustain life. The specimens collected at the time were quite as 

 large as the typical form, but the animal much darker, and in some specimens quite 

 black. No other moll u scan form was visible, although it was quite evident — from the 

 fact of a large number of larva-cases of Limnephilus pellucidus, of which there was an 

 abundant supply, being composed of fine examples of Pisidium nitidum, Bythinia 

 Leach ii, Valvata cristata, Planorbis carina t us, P. glaber, and Limnea pereger — that 

 many species had existed, within a very recent date, in the same water-course; and 

 that life had beeu suddenly extinguished, probably at the first influx of salt water, 

 was manifest from the non-appearance of those peculiar aberrant forms which charac- 

 terize the results of gradual change. How are we to account for the Physa, a mollusk 

 possessing very delicate habits, surviving the inroad of the salt water, whilst the other 

 species had succumbed to its overpowering influence ? — George H. Parke ; Halifax, 

 June 6, 1863. 



Capture of Deilephila livornica in a Boat. — On Thursday, the 18th of June, as 

 1 was returning in a boat from a visit to Mr. Edgecombe, my attention was called to 

 a fine specimen of D. livornica pinned at the back of the boat. The boatman told 

 me he had found it in his boat that day when he returned from dinner, and bad pinned 

 it there at once. The insect was alive, and in beautiful preservation, and now forms 

 one of the gems of my cabinet. — G. C. Green; Modbury Vicarage, Devon, June 24, 

 1863. 



Occurrence of Clostera anachoreta at Folkestone. — I met with a single larva of 

 Clostera anachoreta on a poplar tree at Folkestone, very near the place pointed out to 

 me some time ago by my friend Dr. Knaggs as the spot where he re-discovered the 

 long-lost species. The larva was nearly full-grown. — Joseph Sidebothum ; Manchester, 

 June 26, 1863. 



Description of the Larva of Ino Geryon. — The ejjgs, which are of a pale yellow 

 colour, are laid at the beginning of July in confinement, and are scattered at inter- 

 vals in the box or cage in which the imago has been kept: the young larvae emerge 

 in a few days ; the full-fed larva? were found in April by the Rev. E. Horton, to whom 

 I am indebted for a supply: they were feeding on Helianthemum vulgare (sun 

 cistus) on the Malvern Hills; and the fact of their feeding in July, and again in 

 April, leads to the conclusion that they hybemate, although this has not been esta- 

 blished by actual observation. Unable to supply my larva? with their proper food- 

 plant, I gave them Rum ex acetosella (sorrel), on which they fed freely and arrived at 

 maturity ; but Mr. Horton informs me that although he offered them the sorrel they 

 would not touch it while the supply of Cistus lasted. The full-fed larva, when dis- 

 turbed, falls off its food plant, and lies on its^ide in a crescentic form, the two extre- 

 mities approaching but not touching. Head very small, entirely retractile within the 

 2nd segment ; body obese, almost onisciform, gradually decreasing in size towards 



