THE YOUNG NATUBALIST. 



the latter species, which caused some surprise, as it is generally considered one 

 the rarest of the apterous females. B. parthenias and T. rulricosa were 

 also mentioned as having been captured. At the following meeting, 

 Mr. Gurney exhibited a female H. progemmaria, almost black ; Mr. Clark 

 brought up a specimen of X lithoriza bred that day, from ova obtained in 

 1885 from a captured female, also a fine and variable series of Agrotis corlicea 

 from Upper Clapston. Mr. Anderson mentioned having seen the first Biston 

 hirtaria that day, which led to a short discussion as to the date of its being 

 full out, the general opinion being that about April 6th to 12th is the time 

 when they may generally be observed in profusion on the lime trees, &c. 



On April 8th, Mr. Pearson recorded the following species from the sallows 

 at Loughton : T. gothica, T. cruda, T. staMlis, T. instabilis, X lithoriza, and 

 also A. badiata, from Chingford. On the 15th, Mr. Huckett exhibited a 

 series each of A. agathina and A, ohelisca ; Mr. Anderson had some dark 

 varieties of H. progemmaria, from Walthamstow ; and Mr. Clark brought up 

 four specimens of Lythria purpuraria, two D. pnlchella, two G. smaragdaria, 

 two N. subrosea and one E. sacraria, from Dr. Gill's collection. Mr. May 

 mentioned having obtained ten larvse of C. villica, and also noted a great 

 abundance of larvae of N. xanthographa. — Eknest Anderson, Secretary. 



[The "Report of Clydesdale Naturalists' Society" and other matter unavoidably left 

 over for want of space.] 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Note on Antispila Pfeieferella. — During a short stay at Freshwater, 

 Isle of Wight, in July last, I found the larvse of this species in the greatest 

 profusion in one of the many old fashioned lanes, with hedges six or eight 

 feet high, that lead from Earringford to Totland Bay. There was only two 

 good sized bushes of Cornus sanguinea, but nearly every leaf was mined by 

 one or two larvae ; wanting the species badly myself, as also many of my 

 friends, I collected a good supply. Again, I had long wished to verify a 

 statement by Mr. C. Healy, in the Entoinologist, vol. 2, page 129, and again 

 mentioned in the IS at. Hist. Tineina, vol. xi. page 310, which has always 

 seemed rather puzzling to me, that the larvse when full-fed, cut out their oval 

 cases, descend to the ground, and convey their cases under the surface of the 

 earth, and then change to the pupa state. Now, this habit in a larva which 

 is apodal, appeared to me most extraordinary, and to prove it I placed all the 

 leaves I had, in several glass jars with open tops like ordinary tumblers, with 

 some fine earth at the bottom, taken from the hedge where I obtained the 



