6384 



Insects. 



is almost invariably found among the young tender leaves, spinning four or five of 

 them together when young. It afterwards conceals itself, eating only at night. It is 

 a most voracious feeder. As a rule, I should say it prefers sallow to willow ; I have 

 not met with it on poplar. — Joseph Greene ; Id. 



Larva of Anchoscelis pislacina. — I took the larva of this insect in some plenty last 

 year, at the end of May and beginning of June, by sweeping the mowing grass in the 

 meadows round Stowmarket. It closely resembles the larva of Hadena oleracea, and 

 is sometimes bright yellowish green, and at others reddish brown with black spots. It 

 feeds voraciously upon the leaves of the three species of meadow crowfoot, Ranunculus 

 bulbosus, R. acris and R. repens. It spins a very tight, neat earthen cocoon, in which 

 it remains some weeks before assuming the pupa state. This cocoon when kept dry 

 becomes exceedingly brittle. The eggs which I have hud were laid in the autumn, and 

 hatched in the spring. — //. Harpur Crewe ; Id. 



Larva of Scopelosorna satellitia. — The larva of this species is very singular in its 

 habits. I do not allude to its carnivorous 'propensities.' In this respect unfortunately 

 it is not singular. Sometimes, when young, it feeds on trees, and afterwards on low- 

 growing plants ; at other times it appears to invert this order of things. I found a 

 number of them last spring about half an inch long, feeding on the common primrose, 

 but when placed in a box, containing leaves of the wych elm, they immediately forsook 

 the former and devoted their energies to the latter. Conceals itself during the day. — 

 Joseph Greene; Id. 



Larvce of the Genus Xanthia. — This highly interesting genus is well represented 

 in Suffolk, as I have myself taken the whole six species; and this appears to be a 

 suitabte place to make a few remarks on the habits of the larvae of this genus. The 

 general opinion seems to be, that when young they feed on the seeds of various trees, 

 and afterwards leave them for various low-growing plants. That this is by no means 

 necessarily the case, I have had abundant opportunities of proving. For instance, 

 X. citrago was nearly full-fed when beaten from lime, and in confinement they not 

 only preferred that tree as food, but would not touch any other. At Playford I beat 

 the larva of X. ferruginea in the greatest profusion from the wych elm of all sizes, 

 from a week old to their full growth. Again, the five pupae of X. gilvago, which I 

 dug up this year in Derbyshire, were all at the roots of elm, there being no plants at 

 all near. The same remark applies to X. xerampelina. Indeed, with regard to this 

 latter insect, I entertain little doubt that leaving the tree is the exception and not the 

 rule. I must at the same time acknowledge that I have not succeeded in finding the 

 larva. I am very anxious to know farther, whether the eggs of the different species in 

 this genus hatch in the autumn or not? I believe the general idea is that they do not. 

 My own impression is that they do hatch and hybernate. My only reason for thinking 

 so is, that in October I found, in beating some loose grass, weeds, &c.,in a very small 

 plantation, two larva? of this genus, about half an inch long. I cannot state the species, 

 as there were both ash and elm in the plantation, and the larvae (when young especially) 

 are so much alike that it is difficult to discriminate them. My notion, therefore, from 

 this circumstance is, that the eggs are hatched in the autumn on the trees, and that 

 just before the leaves fall the larvae descend to hybernate among the weeds, &c, and 

 in the following spring ascend them for the purpose of feeding again. This idea is 

 much strengthened by the fact that X. ferruginea (the only species, unfortunately, I 

 can speak of from experience) may be found nearly three-quarters of an inch in length, 

 when the buds of the elm have scarcely burst. These remarks are only intended to 



