iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



219 



And now we will again pay a visit to some tidal river and search 

 the sea wall and marshes adjoining. On the sandy shore we see some 

 fine plants of the prickly saltwort (Salsola kali), if we examine it 

 closely at the beginning of the month we shall probably observe the ends 

 of some of the shoots are covered with a slight web intermixed with 

 grains of sand, if on pulling this apart we find a yellowish green larva 

 it would be that of G. canella, these larvae mine the stems when young, 

 afterwards feeding externally, it is as well to take home some sand 

 with the food plant, for the larva spin their cocoons intermixed with 

 sand. There is another prickly plant only growing on sandy shores, 

 viz.: the sea holly (Evingium maritimuni ) , the roots of which we 

 must now examine for the larva of A. maritimana, these larva are to be 

 found eating their way down some considerable distance into the 

 pipe-like roots, and owing to the brittleness of the roots and the depth 

 the larvae go down, are most difficult to get up without injury. 



We must now examine the sea purslane (A triplex portiilacoides) 

 growing on the muddy banks, or salt marshes, and are soon busy 

 collecting the cases of Col. mceniacelLa, a week or two later these cases 

 are to be found on the Suo'da mantimn; and examining that robust 

 looking A triplex, the sea orache, growing on the sea wall, the rough 

 looking cases of the larvae of C. annulatella will soon be found on the 

 seeds. The sea wormwood (Artemisia niavitinia) next claims our 

 attention, by beating it into a net, the cases of CJil. artemisiella may 

 be taken in plenty, and the larva of C. Wimmeraua also, these larva 

 draw the shoots together, are rather plentiful, but difficult to breed, 

 as they hibernate, and feed up in the spring; the whitish cases of 

 C. maritiniella occasionally drop into the net, but had better be thrown 

 out and taken about the end of the following May, being then nearly 

 full grown, the sea lavender (Statice liinoiiiuiiij grows rather freely on 

 these marshes, and we must cut a good bagful! of the seed heads, from 

 whicli in due course we shall breed a nice series of G. brizella, I have 

 often bred this species from the above named plant, but not up to the 

 present from Statice armeria. The larva of C. linioniella feeds on the 

 seeds of S. limonium appropriating one of the florets and using as its 

 case, they may be observed sticking on the sides of the stems, into 

 which the larva is eating its way to pupate, the cases soon afterwards 

 drop off, when a small hole in the stem may be observed webbed over. 

 Before leaving this district we must not forget to cut a large bagfuU 



