96 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[May 



As we pass along, the stitchwort again attracts our attention, for 

 now the seed pods are hanging in abundance, and some of them have 

 a faded appearance. If on opening one of these pods we find a 

 yellowish larva with black head, it would be the larva of Gclechia 

 niaciilea. It is best to cut a good bundle of the plant, putting the ends 

 in water on arriving home, and in dae time a good series wall be bred. 

 A little further on we notice the shoots of the spindle tree f Euonyintis 

 europcBus), some of which are drooping and withering ; this is caused 

 by the young larvae of T. phiDibellus at work within the stem, which 

 they afterw^ards leave and feed externally on the leaves, under a slight 

 web. The dense web also of T. cognntellus on the same plant cannot 

 fail to attract attention, for these feed gregariously, spinning an 

 immense amount of web, into which they retreat on the slightest 

 alarm, and they are so plentiful some seasons that the spindle trees 

 are completely defoliated by them. The buckthorn (Rkammis fvangiila) 

 growing in hedges, have at this time some of the shoots drooping in a 

 similar manner, by the larvae oi Lavenia rliainiiiella feeding inside the 

 stem ; afterwards feeding externally ; they are of a brown colour with 

 black head. The flea-bane (Inula dyseutericn) growling in the wet 

 places by the roadside next causes us to stop and cut some of the 

 drawn-together tops, for we know that the larvae of Ebnlea crocealis is 

 now feeding up rapidly, and on its leaves the long, whitish cases of 

 Coleophora troglodytella is now to be found. The sharp thorns of the 

 bramble cause us to turn, and then we notice how some of the shoots 

 are drawn together almost into a complete ball by the larvae of A . 

 udmanniana. A little further on we see the shoots of the sun cistus 

 (Helianthemiim vulgare) drawn together m a similar manner by the 

 larvae of Gelechia seqiiax. 



And now" we will cross the heathy common on our way to the wood 

 beyond, examining the flowers of the furze as we go, for we want a 

 few larvae of Gelechia midinella ; these larvae are pale green with black 

 head, and are soon found by the round holes in the half-opened buds. 

 On the isolated oak trees we find the curious pistol-shaped cases — 

 with a large scaly flap on each side — of the larvae of Coleophora 

 palliatella making conspicuous blotches on the leaves, and occasionally 

 the small, pistol-shaped cases of C. ardecEpennella, but never commonly ; 

 and by beating the branches into an umbrella or net we can soon 

 obtain a goodly number of the dull-green but lively larvae of H. 



