50 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[March 



ours, is, I am told, the most abundant Smerinthus they have. — Emily 

 L. Morton, Newburgh, New York. 



Variety of Arctia Mendica — My friend Mr. Gardner has bred 

 a variety of this species— a male that appears to be intermediate 

 between the Irish form, var. rustica, and that of the type. In the type 

 the male is dark smoky-brown, in var. ntstica it is pale cream colour 

 (Dr. Staudinger calls it "colore albido.") Mr. Gardner's specimen is 

 pale ochreous-grey. It was one of a series bred from eggs from 

 Hartlepool parents ; but none of the others showed any departure 

 from the type, and the females are all very ordinary specimens. — John 

 E. RoBSON, Hartlepool. 



C. brumata. — Notwitstanding the cold weather we had in the first 

 week in January, C. brumata was on the wing, as well as the winter 

 Daddy-long-legs. The furze is already out in bloom.— C. W. Dale, 

 Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset, 30th January, 1891. 



Larentia multistrigaria in February. - I have taken 15 Miiltis- 

 tvignria since the 12th P'ebruary. They are a banded form, and dark. 

 Their capture will show how very early we are here. — E. Roper- 

 Curzon, Hovvth, 15th February, i8gi. 



Larvae. 



BoMBYX rubi. — The fineness of the day on the fi.rst of February 

 tempted rne out for a ramble with my children, and one of them picked 

 up a fine larva of B. rubi, sunnmg itself after hibernation. It was 

 transferred to the shelf of the kitchen fireplace, and spun its cocoon 

 on the 3rd and 4th, changing to a pupa on the nth. Though it is 

 easy to induce hibernated larvae to spin their cocoons at once, and 

 though the change to pupa always follows immediately, yet they do 

 not- appear to emerge earlier, but generally remain as pupae until April 

 or thereabouts. I have found several other larvae subsequently. — 

 John E. Robson, Hartlepool. 



Notes from Howth. — After the late severe winter in England, a 

 note on the state of things in this entomological paradise may not be 

 without interest. 



