420 



The Vapourer Moth. 



[OCT., 



The Board are informed through the Foreign Office that 



owing to the partial failure of this year's maize crop in 



Roumania, following on the unprece- 



Exportation of dentedly small crop of last year, it has 

 Maize from , , . , , . , , . ' 



Roumania. been decided to continue the prohibition of 



the export of maize after the 15 th October 

 next (the date on which the prohibition would otherwise 

 expire), until further notice. Large quantities of maize were 

 imported in the autumn from Argentina and elsewhere, and 

 it is considered unlikely that the proceeds of this year's crop 

 will suffice for local requirements. A note as to the prohibi- 

 tion of last year appeared in this Journal in August, 1904, 

 Vol. XL, p. 277. 



The caterpillars of this moth have been very destructive in 

 several parts of the country this season ; they feed on many 

 species of fruit and garden trees and on 



The Y, a ?2 Urer shrubs, e.g., the laurel and the Makonia 

 Moth. A ' 6 



[Orgyia Antigua.) Aqmfohum. 



In September and October the males of 

 the Orgyia antiqua, with their tawny wings, may often be seen 

 flying about the streets of London. The moth is found in 

 Britain as far north as Sutherland, and is common in Ireland, 

 mainly in gardens. There is a Continental record of an infesta- 

 tion in the year 1828, when damage was done by the caterpillars 

 in woods over an extent of 3,706 acres. 



The Moth. — Fore wings of the male ochreous-brown, pos- 

 teriorly darker orange-brown ; lines dark fuscous, first indistinct, 

 second strongly curved outwards on upper half ; a conspicuous 

 clear white spot shows near the hinder angle of each fore wing. 

 Hind wings deep brownish-orange. The wing expanse is from 

 one to one and a quarter inches. The female is yellowish-grey 

 and has rudimentary wings and pectinate antennae. 



The larva, which is 1^ in. to 2 in. in length when full 

 grown is ash coloured, striped with reddish-yellow and white, and 

 red-spotted ; a characteristic of this caterpillar is the presence of 

 large tufts of yellowish hair on the back in segments 5 to 8, and 



