iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



175 



end of the month for the larva of B. sommdenfella, they mine the 

 leaves, giving them quite a bleached appearance, the larva being in 

 profusion one year, then suddenly disappearing and not being seen 

 again for several years afterwards, when it suddenly reappears just as 

 abundantly. It is now five years since I last took this larva in a lane 

 in Kent, I was late for it, as the mined tenantless leaves abundantly 

 proved, but with close searching managed to secure two or three dozen 

 larva, and every season since that time have made a journey expressly 

 for it but have not up to the present time met with one solitary larva 

 with all my careful searching. 



If we visit a locality were the wild hop is growing freely, about 

 the middle of the month, and examine the leaves, we shall probably 

 find some of them have whitish streaks up the mid rib and sides of the 

 leaves, if on opening this streak we find a reddish larva it would be 

 that of Cos. eximia (drurella). Of all the larva I have ever reared 

 these without exception are the most restless. When they quit the 

 leaf to pupate they will squeeze through the finest gauze, often per- 

 ishing in the attempt, which is the reason so few are bred. Strong 

 unbleached calico tied down tightly over the flower pot is the only 

 thing to keep them in, and then they squeeze themselves between the 

 calico and the edge of the pot and dry up. I circumvented them at 

 last by tying all the mined leaves up in a strong calico bag and hang- 

 ing it in a shady place, out in all weathers during the winter and to 

 the end of June, then cutting the bag open, laid it in a large propagat- 

 ing pan and was rewarded by breeding a fair number during the 

 following July. The wild apple trees should now be examined for the 

 larva of O. guttelln, which turn down the side of the leaves, and the 

 leaves of the nut are turned down in a similar manner by the larva of 

 0. avellanella towards the end of the month. 



On chalky soils, along the edges of cornfield, or railway embank- 

 ments, the bladder campion [Silene inflata) will be found growing, and 

 must be examined at this time for the white cases of the larva of Col. 

 inflatella, which will be found sticking straight out from the pod, on 

 the unripe seeds on which the larva are feeding, a fair number ought 

 to be taken for they are far from easy to breed, most of them dying 

 during the winter. On the pods of furze the rough cases of C. 

 albicostella may be found if well looked for. This also is the time to 

 search for the short bulky looking cases of Col, Wilkinsonella on Birch 



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