THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[January 



upon them ; the chrysalides difter in shape and colour. If these dis- 

 tinctions are not enough, I do not know what would be. 



I am quite aware that Guenee said fasciunmla was a var. of strigilis, 

 but I do not know on what evidence he founded his opinion. I know, 

 however, that his friend and co-worker, Henry Doubleday, did not 

 agree with him, and that French collectors consider them distinct. 

 Every French catalogue I possess, dealers' or otherwise, gives them as 

 distinct species, without even a mark of doubt or uncertainty. 



Notes. 



Spinx convolvuli at Sunderland. —I was looking over the col- 

 lection of a friend the other day, and saw two very good specimens of 

 Spinx convolvuli, which, he informed me, were taken two years ago 

 flying about a large electric light, used on the new pier works here. — 

 L. S. Brady, Sunderland. 



Larvae. 



PiERis BRASSic.E. — On July 23rd, 1888, I took 36 larvae of this 

 ubiquitous insect at rest upon one cabbage leaf, and which I thought 

 was an unusually large number to be at rest on one leaf. On August 

 8th I discovered 35 of them were ichneumoned, or " egg spitted " as a 

 friend terms it, and covered with the well-known yellow cocoons of 

 Apanteles gloineratus. The largest number of these cocoons from one 

 larva was 135, and the smallest 20. Taking the average to be 75, and 

 multiplying by the total number stung, we get the total of 2625 

 cocoons, which is certainly an enormously large quantity, and one can- 

 not wonder at P. brassiere becoming rarer if its parasite is so abundant. 

 — A. E. Hall, Norbury, Sheffield, December, 1890. 



Vanessa 10. — The larva of this species, like many others, ejects 

 a disagreeeble green fluid from its mouth when disturbed. My friend 

 Dr. J. A. Chapman, of Hereford, tells me that this liquid is most 

 nutritious to the larva, and if one desires to breed fine healthy 

 specimens, the larvae must not be excited to part with this liquid, but 

 if they are, every chance must be given them to consume the same 

 again, which they generally will do if left alone. I have only noticed 

 this species in order to bring forward the valuable information of 

 Dr. Chapman's — Id. 



