THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



267 



EXCHANGE. 



Full-fed larvas of Salicis. Desiderata. — 

 Preserved or living larvae of many other 

 species. — E. F. Nicholls, 2, Summerland 

 Row, Butts, Coventry. 



Duplicates.— Larvae of Z . filipendula, H. 

 dcfoliaria, and Y. elutata. Desiderata. — 

 Larvae or pupae. — (Miss) R. Prescott 

 Decie, Bockleton Court, Tenbury. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



Acronycta Alni at Birmingham. — I am 

 informed by a friend that he caught on the 

 27th May, in Gum Slade Valley, Sutton, 

 Acronycta alni whilst at rest on the trunk of 

 an oak-tree.— Wm. Shakespeare, 61, Suffolk 

 Street, Birmingham. 



Birmingham Notes. — June 5th. — The 

 long-eared owl (Asia otusj is breeding at 

 I Sutton, and are rather plentiful around that 

 ' district. The great crested grebe (Podiccps 

 cristatus) is also breeding at Sutton. 



June 15th.— A splendid specimen of the 

 lesser black-backed gull was shot at the 

 Edgbaston reservoir. This bird is very 

 interesting, as it is just on the point of 

 changing its nest feather into the adult 

 plumage. 



Saw a pair of the spotted flycatcher {mus- 

 ' cicapa grisola) at Aston park grounds on the 

 16th. The lesser whitethroat {Sylvia conuca) 

 very plentiful at the Lickeys this season. — 

 Alexander Geo. Davis, Birmingham. 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



By John E. Robson. 



I. CONVOLVULL 

 The Convolvulus Hawk-Moth. 

 " CoNVOLVULi, L., Convol'vuli, feeds on | 

 Bindweed {Convolvulus arvcnsis). " —A.L. 



Imago. — This species expands from 

 nearly four inches to nearly five. The fore- 

 wings are dark grey, with dark streaks and 



lighter mottlings. The hind-wings are pale 

 grey at the base, gradually becoming darker 

 at the hind margin ; there are three blackish 

 bands, the central one being rather broad 

 in the middle, and paler there. The thorax 

 is dark grey with black lines, the abdomen 

 has a dark grey stripe down the middle, 

 and each segment is fringed with white, 

 rosy, and black. 



Larva. — Dark brown, a yellow dorsal 

 line to the sixth segment, after which it is 

 black. There are six yellow segmental 

 bands, from the sixth to the eleventh seg- 

 ment : these only reach the subdorsal line. 

 Line below the spiracles whitish ; spiracles 

 black, in a brown triangular ground covered 

 with white spote arranged in rows, the up- 

 per row representing the seven usual streaks. 

 Above these streaks are dark brown triangu- 

 lar spaces. Horn brown, with a yellow 

 stripe on each side. Two white dashes on 

 the anal segment. Head yellowish and very 

 small. This description is from a beautiful 

 coloured figure lent me by G. C. Bignell, 

 Esq., of Plymouth. The larva is said some- 

 times to be green in colour. 



Pupa. — I never saw it, and know of no 

 description. 



Food Plant.-— The larva feeds on the 

 small bindweed {Convolvulus arvcnsis), and 

 also on the greater bindweed (C. sepium), 

 and on Balsams. 



Times of Appearance.— A very un- 

 certain insect : sometimes appearing in great 

 numbers, and then occurring very rarely 

 for years. It emerges from the pupa in 

 August or September, and continues on the 

 wing till October. It then hybernates, and 

 re-appears sometimes in June. The larvae 

 have been found in July. 



Habitat. — Very widely distributed 

 when it occurs, having been taken in every 

 county in England, and both in Scotland 

 and Ireland. It is common in Europe, ex- 

 cept in the North. 



