THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Winter is a good time for observing and collecting lichens as well as micro 

 fungi. Among the species we may find are the grey Parmelia saxatilus, the 

 underside of which is black ; the grey bordered with black Tecanore alia, 

 another species of Teeanore, the grey Tecanore suhfusca, is common on old 

 palings and trees in limestone districts ; we have a species of lichen known 

 as Aspicilia calcarea, it occurs on stones. It is a very interesting species 

 inasmuch as its spores are polygonal in shape instead of being oval as the 

 spores of lichens usually are. One species of Aspicilia is remarkable for the 

 large size of its spores. This is Aspicilia cervinata. Another species has 

 also spores of unusually large size and has the generic name of Megalospora 

 from this circumstance. Other lichens are the greenish grey Everine pru- 

 nasiri and Sauamaria lentigera. The last named species is greenish white 

 when wet but becomes white when dry. 



We have here found a curious little caterpillar living in a tiny case on 

 these lichens on the palings we have stopped to look at. It is the larva of 

 Talaophora pseudo-bombycella. Other species of lepidoptera may be found 

 in December, for which see Y.N. Yol. VI., p. 266. 



In mild Decembers Pacilocampa populi makes its appearance. As every 

 entomologist knows it is a thick bodied moth belonging to the Bombycina 

 and family Bombycidse. The type form of this species has the fore- wings 

 smoky brown in colour inclined to mahogany at the base. The middle part 

 of the wing is bounded by two pale waved lines, the outermost one is con- 

 tinued across the hind- wings after the manner of the Geometrine. This 

 moth has the peculiarity of sometimes in severe winters remaining in the 

 pupa state until the following winter, and if that likewise be a severe one 

 until the winter following and so on until a mild one arrives. It will remain 

 in the pupa state as long as five years if circumstances are unfavourable for 

 its development earlier. 

 Cambridge. 



TORTRIX PICEANA. 



By ROBERT ADKIN. 



The re- discovery of a Tortrix in this country is an event to be received 

 with satisfaction ; the known members of that group are by no means so 

 numerous that we can afford to lose any of them, but it too often happens, 

 that a species admitted to our fauna on the authority of one or two specimens, 

 remains in one lists for a few years, until another generatiou of entomologists 

 arise, when its right to be there is questioned and it is then dropped, or 



