iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



97 



radiatel la, horn which R most variable seriefs maybe bred. On the 

 neighbouring birch trees the larvae of Coleopliom ihipennella, in their 

 pistol -shaped cases, which lie nearly prostrate on the leaves, are be- 

 trayed by their manner of feeding. We must now use our sweeping- 

 net for the two heath-feeding ColeopJiom which are best obtained this 

 month, so we will make for one of the many deep hollows where the 

 heath is more luxuriant and protected from the winds, and are soon 

 rewarded by finding in the net some of the long, black, curved cases 

 of the larvae of ColeopJiom pyrhnlipennella. The debris which we have 

 swept from the heath must be put into a bag and taken home, for the 

 cases of C . juncicolella are among it in plenty ; but they are very small, 

 and so exactly resemble a broken shoot of the heath that it is im- 

 possible to separate them, but by putting all the sweepings into a 

 shallow box or tea tray in a thin layer, and covering wnth a piece of 

 wet muslin, the Coleophora in the course of a few hours will have 

 crawled on to the muslin, and can then be easily separated. The 

 bleached appearance of the Genista anglica next claims our attention, 

 and we are soon taking a supply of the case-bearing larvae of ColeopJiom 

 genisticolella, for they are rather a local species. 



We will now make for the wood, but we must pause to collect a 

 few shoots oi Artemisia vulgaris from some old plants growing on the 

 edge of the pathway, for they contain the larvae of P. linigianus, and 

 the drooping shoots of the Hypericum, containing the larvae of D. 

 hypericella, induces us to fill a small bag, for we want a fresh series ; 

 and now proceeding through the wood by the main path, we notice 

 the larch trees are still being bleached by the larvae of C. laricella, 

 and our attention is soon arrested by the conspicuous, black, pistol- 

 shaped cases of C. vihicella on the Genista tinctoria growing by the 

 sides of the drive, some of which we must take, for the species is 

 extremely local, and while busy searching the Genista for these cases, 

 we notice the terminal shoots of some are drawn together ; if on 

 opening them we find a pale-green larva with black head, we may 

 conclude they are the larvae of G. lentiginasella. We next examine the 

 drawn-together shoots of honeysuckle, and are soon rewarded by 

 finding the lively black larva, with distinct white stripe on each side, 

 of G. mouffetella. The handsome reddish-brown striped larvae of C. 

 xylostella is only too common on the same plant, while the velvety- 

 looking, oblique marked larva of C. nemorella is more rarely met with 



