58 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[March 



SiLPHA ATRATA IN IRELAND. — -In the November issue of the British 

 Naturalist, Mr. Brown states that he never took an example of the 

 type form of S. atrata in Dublin. On August 3rd last I took a fine 

 specimen of the typical S. atrata near Glencullen, at the extreme 

 south of the country. — H, Gore Cuthbert, Dublin. 



[Canon Fowler, (Coleoptera of the British Islands), says that the species is 

 " apparentl}^ represented mostly in Ireland by the var. stihrotuiidata." — g.a.l.] 



NOTES FOR BEGINNERS.— MICRO LARV^ 



FOR THE MONTH. 



GEO. ELISHA, F.E.S. 



With March we commence another Entomological campaign, for 

 the signs of approaching spring are becoming every day more evident, 

 the drooping heads of the coltsfoot are now bursting into flow^er, the 

 hazel catkins gradually fading, while those of the sallow are slowly 

 unfolding, then soon their attractions will draw hosts of insect 

 admirers; the hedges begin to assume a greenish tint, and the wild 

 plants under them are now growing vigorously, and while strolling 

 through the woods we observe the signs are still more visible, for the 

 honeysuckle is now getting well into leaf and the curious flowers of 

 the butcher's broom, wdiich appear as if in the centre of each leaf, are 

 now to be seen where that plant occurs. At our feet the wood 

 anen'ione is putting forth its delicate white blossoms, while that 

 harbinger of spring, the humble bee, occasionally reveals its presence 

 by that old familiar humming noise which lias so long been unheard. 



We must not forget while observing these and many other ever 

 w^^lcome precursors of the genial weather, that is surely, though 

 perhaps slowly approacliing, that w^e have another object in view, and 

 that is to unravel, if possible, some of those mysteries of larval life and 

 habits of the numerous species of Micro-lepidoptera that have 

 hitherto eluded our most persistent efforts to discover them, but as a 

 reward in this direction comes so seldom, we will give our attention 

 to some of those species occurring at this time, that may be useful to 

 our friends, if not to our own collection. 



One of the first objects that attract our notice, while leisurely 

 walking along any country lane this month, is the long blades of fresh 

 looking grass on the hedge banks; on examining some of these, we 

 shall observe that they have broad mines running nearly the whole 

 length of the leaf; on holding one of these up to the light, a pale 

 yellowish larva will be seen busily eating the parenchyma be- 

 tween the upper and lower cuticle, this is the larva of Elachista 



