814 



THE YOUNG NATUKAL1ST. 



carefully, and save us any specimens 

 they may obtain. We would also like 

 one of the pupa from which they 

 emerge. The French observer stated 

 that 228 emerged from one pupa. Mrs. 

 Porritt noticed that large numbers 

 came out at the same hole. Mr. 

 Battersby, of Cromlyn, Rathowen, 

 Ireland has sent us some pupae of a 

 parasite from the same larva that we 

 hav© not seen before, and that, so far 

 as can be guessed by the size of the 

 cocoon, will produce insects of con- 

 siderable size. When we thus learn 

 that so common an insect has at least 

 two different parasites, of which no 

 notice has been taken, we need not 

 wonder to find that rarer larvae have 

 also their hitherto unknown enemies. 

 We ourselves have been fortunate 

 enough to obtain Microgaster looking 

 cocoons from larvae of E. Blandina, 

 as well as from A. Galathea. Mr. 

 Gardner, of Hartlepool, bred an 

 ichneumon from a larva of L. agestis, 

 which he carefully set aside for us, but 

 has mislaid. An ichneumon as yet 

 undetermined was sent us by Mr. 

 Parish, of Taunton, which he bred from 

 larvae of Thecla quercus, &c. While we 

 refer to the rapid increase of our know- 

 ledge, on a subject on which it was 

 thought there was so little to learn 

 that it was not worth doing, we are 

 saying nothing whatever about the 

 number of ichneumons and dipterons 

 that are reaching us from larvae and 

 pupae of the Heterocera. These will be 

 matter for future reference. Our main 

 object now is to call special attention 



to the importance of the subject once 

 more, and to show that the commonest 

 species as well as the rarer ones are 

 thus infested. Will those who are so 

 ably assisting us please take note 

 whether the parasites emerge from the 

 larva or pupa ; whether they come out 

 in the perfect winged state, or if they 

 come out as larvae and spin cocoons. 

 In the latter case please also note if 

 each spins a separate cocoon, or they 

 spin together in one mass. When 

 specimens are sent us, we desire to 

 have a pupa where they came out 

 in the manner of those from V. urtiece, 

 named above ; and a cocoon when 

 they spin one. We shall be glad to 

 have the specimens themselves, set or 

 unset, and such notes on their habits 

 and economy as can be given. Do not 

 be afraid of writing something that 

 you think may be uninteresting. So 

 little has been published on this subject 

 that almost everything that can be 

 said is worth printing. We would call 

 attention to the letter of Mr. G. H. H. 

 Walker, of Liverpool, in No. 88 as a 

 sample of what should be noticed. 

 Mr. Walker has sent us some speci- 

 mens of that ichneumon most beauti-j 

 fully mounted on card, with a pupa 

 case mounted beside it. We would be 

 glad if he would favor us with some 

 notes on the manner in which they are 

 so set out, for the benefit of others who 

 are giving attention to this hitherto 

 much neglected but very interesting 

 branch of Entomology. To Lepidop- 

 terists generally we would say — par- 

 ticularly to these whose collections are 



