56 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



"Forest, and Southend, Essex. June and August. Woods, waste places, 

 rank pastures, and gardens near. Took one larva which fed on burdock and 

 dock, ceasing from October to February, and full-fed early in May. Taken 

 under a leaf of Arctium lappa in September, and then green ; but grey (only 

 tinted with green beneath) when full-fed ; mottled with ochreous ; oblong 

 black spots on sub-dorsal line as in Xanthographa, from 5 to 12 segments; 

 and a broad white band, black-edged above, along the spiracular region ; the 

 spiracles orange. This is a longer, flatter, and more opaque larva than 

 Xanthographa, its head is marked as in that larva, but the darker mottlings 

 on the body follow the pattern in N, /estiva. 



B. Triangulum. — Not rare as a larva, but only one specimen at sugar in 

 Denny Wood, New Forest, in July, 1873. The larva also at Highgate and 

 Hampstead, 



N. Rhomboidea (?)— A species first captured by myself as far as I am 

 aware, and of which over 100 specimens were captured at sugar in Hurst 

 Hill Inclosure, New Forest, in August 1874, Mr. G. Tate, Mr. Mr. M. J. G. 

 Ross, the Messrs. Parker, and myself. I exhibited and named it Rhomboidea, 

 at two Societies in London. If this be correct, " deep slaty grey " would 

 better convey the tint in words than " dark purple," the colour is most un- 

 varying. I believe Mr. Ross still has a series. 



N. Brunnea. — At sugar, beginning of July, in woods. Highgate, Hamp- 

 stead, aud New Forest. Common. 



IM. Fesiiva. — At sugar and bramble bloom in June and July. Highgate, 

 Hampstead, and New Forest. Abundant. 



(To be continued.) 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Macrocentrus Infirmus bred from HYDRiECiA Petasites. — The 

 batch of cocoons, which looked like an oblong pellet of felt, which Mr. Pierce 

 found in the stem of burdock, instead of his wished-for pupa of Hydrcecia 

 petasitis, produced in the autumn 122 males, and the one he so very kindly 

 sent me in August 1885, contained 175 females of Macrocentrus infirmus, 

 which emerged the following month. This is very curious that one should 

 produce all males and the other all females, but I think I may say it is the 

 rule with those of the same genus (Macrocentrus), that form batches, to pro- 

 duce only one sex, at least it has been my experience when I have bred line- 

 aris, colearis, and infirmus. — G, C. Btgnell, F.E.S., Stonehouse, Plymouth, 



