258 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [December 



ground they mine up the fresh shoots, causing them to droop and die. 

 Some old roots of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) growing on the edges 

 of an overhanging bank next attracts us; cn digging up one and 

 breaking it open, we are rewarded by finding the larvae of D. petivemna 

 and plumhagana. 



We continue our journey, and are fortunate In finding some fine 

 old roots of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). This being a very local plant 

 and seldom met with, we must give it our best attention. If, on 

 digging up a root and breaking it open, we find larvae feeding within, 

 we must take a good supply of roots, for we may breed from them 

 D. sequana, alpinana, tanacetana, and politana. This being a plant not 

 at all common, it is as well to break ofi" all fresh shoots and re-plant 

 with the waste pieces, to serve on some future occasion. We must 

 now examine the roots of those plants of Stachys avvensis, growing at 

 the side of that cultivated field, for we may perhaps find the larva of 

 0. antiquana. The Ragwort (Senecio Jacohcea) is a plant we are 

 almost sure to meet with during our ramble, and those plants growing 

 on rough sloping banks the most productive. If we select one and 

 bend the dead stems downward, some of them will break off about an 

 inch from the ground, on examining these broken ones, VvC shall find 

 that they have been gnawed partly through, which caused them to 

 break, and on looking at that part left in the ground we shall find it 

 webbed over, this is the work of the larva of A. cencana, which is white 

 with brown head, this species is mostly found in the small single roots, 

 and in the larger ones the light yellowish larva of E. atricapitana , 

 and mining down outside the roots, often working their way partly 

 inside, the pinkish larva of E. trigeminana will almost surely be found. 



We will now again visit a locality by the seaside, the dead stems 

 of the sandwort ( Salsola Kali) is still to be seen sticking out of the 

 sand, on scraping up the surface and sifting it through a piece of 

 coarse canvas having about one eighth of an inch mesh, the coccoons 

 of G. canella may now be taken. Some little distance from the shore 

 where the marram grass is growing, some old roots of plantain 

 (Plantago lanceolata) will generally be seen, if we dig up one of the 

 unhealthy ones and break off the crown, we shall probably find a larva 

 inside, quite filling up the stem ; this would be the larva of 

 H. simuella. We will take a good supply of roots, for this species 

 is not found everywhere. The roots of the wild carrot growing on 



