Insects. 



6347 



The larvae appear to assume the pupa-state at the end of May or 

 beginning of June, within a cavity eaten into the moss or turf, not far 

 from the surface. The pupa is chestnut-brown and very lively ; it has 

 a dark, often very conspicuous cremaster which is broadly obtuse at 

 the end, bearing at each angle two strong, sharp bristles. The skin 

 thrown off the larva very frequently remains attached to the cremaster. 

 The moth appears in from four to eight weeks, and the empty pupa- 

 cases are then very fragile and of a pale yellow colour. A large number 

 of the larvae were ichneumoned, and, from the 16th of July to the 

 beginning of August, the pupae furnished some fifty specimens of Ich- 

 neumon luctatorius var., Wesmael, of which first the males and then 

 the females appeared. In one full-grown larva I found a quantity of 

 small white cocoons ; at the end of July they produced Pterilitus 

 islandicus, Ruthe, a species that also comes from E. Graminis. 



Hadena exulis, according to the best authority, is as yet only found 

 in Labrador, Greenland and Iceland. Duponchel and Boisduval give 

 also the North Cape and Finland for Gronlandica, which is certainly 

 this species ; but both these authors err very often in giving the 

 native countries of species. If marmorata, ZetL, belongs here, as is 

 very probable, then the species is also found in South Lapland, but 

 this matter requires confirmation. 



Occurrence of Sopkria emortualis at Brighton.— A single specimen of this Deltoid, 

 new to Britain, was taken in a garden at Brighton, on the 18th of June last, by Mr. 

 Pocock. This locality seems more productive of novelties than any other part 

 of Britain. — Edward Newman. 



The Genus Oporabia. — In reply to Mr. Logan's question (Zool. 6285), I may say 

 I formed my opinion of Oporabia autumnaria from specimens taken at Delamere 

 Forest by Mr. Greening and myself, Mr. Greening having submitted his specimens to 

 our friend Mr. Doubleday, who returned them as Oporabia autumnaria ! I have a 

 series in my cabinet under the name of O. approximaria, bred from birch; the females, 

 to my eye, being distinct in form. I have also a specimen which I bred in August, 

 from larvae, taken on the 19th or 20th of June, feeding in calkins, on sallows which 

 grow on the centre ride] in Wharncliffe Wood, Yorkshire: this insect has-been 

 submitted to Mr. Doubleday, who returned it as a variety of O. dilutaria: Mr. Bond 

 has also seen it and decided it was O. dilutaria; it is exactly like O. borearia in the 

 upper wings, but has a band across the elongated under wings, as in O. approximaria, 

 not parallel with the cilia, as in 0. dilutaria; I call it O. precursaria. I shall 

 be glad to assist any one or more friends who will work out this question in a friendly 

 spirit; to all others I am dumb. When Mr. Weaver brought his large specimens 

 of O. dilutaria from Scotland as O. autumnaria, Boisd., only one gentleman in 



