336 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



British species, if bred from imported eggs 

 or pupa. Of course, old collectors will not 

 be caught with chaff.— S. C. Gregson, Rose 

 Bank, Fletcher Grove, Liverpool. 

 September 3rd, 1881. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Dear Sir, 



Allow me to draw your attention 

 to the following statement in Kirby and 

 Spence's Introduction to Entomology. "The 

 larva of D. vinula has a cleft in the neck, 

 between the head and the first pair of legs. 

 From this issues, at the will of the animal, 

 a singular syringe, laterally bifid, the 

 branches of which are terminated by a 

 nipple perforated like the rose of a watering- 

 pot. By means of this organ, when touched 

 it will syringe a fluid to a considerable 

 distance, which, if it enters the eyes, gives 

 them acute but not lasting pain. The animal 

 when taken from the tree on which it feeds, 

 though supplied with its leaves, looses this faculty, 

 with which it is probably endowed to drive off the 

 ichneumons that infest it.'" 



Now yesterday I took one to examine it, 

 and as I turned it over, it made use of this 

 organ with great effect, for some of the fluid 

 entering a cut in my thumb, caused it to 

 smart considerably, so I thought I had better 

 suck it out a little, and found it to taste very 

 like tartaric acid, and it had also a very 

 strong smell which lasted for about half- 

 an-hour. But why I point this out to 

 you is that this larvae was taken fully a week 

 previously, and in another district alto- 

 gether ; and according to Kirby and Spence, 

 should have lost this power. I should like 

 to know if any of your subscribers have 

 observed the faculty as described. 



Is H. humuli double brooded ? Because 

 Mr. A. Bramwell took a fine male a week 

 ago, and last year (1880), I took two males 

 anda female on the 3rd September. All the 

 books I have seen give June and July for the 

 moth. 



I have taken a Swift (on July 1st, 1881), 

 which is about the size of the Northern 

 Swift ; the fore wings are russet or brick- 

 red colour, with a pure white spot in the 

 centre. The hind wings smoky grey. All 

 the wings have a narrow border, of a dull 

 yellow tint, barred at the nervules with the 

 same colour as the wings they are on. Body 

 dull brown, antennas and legs slightly dark- 

 er, underside smoky brown. Please say 

 what it can be as I am in a fix about it. — 

 John French, 85, Harle Street, Gateshead- 

 on-Tyne. 



[The Swift that puzzles you will be H. sylvi- 

 nus. H. humuli is certainly not double- 

 brooded. It is probably more than one 

 year in the larva state, and thus might 

 emerge any time, but it is generally very 

 regular in its appearance. We shall be 

 glad to hear if others have noticed it at 

 abnormal dates. — Eds. Y.N.] 



Haggerston Entomological Society. 

 —The Haggerston Entomological Society 

 will hold an Exhibition of Insects, &c, at 

 the school-rooms of All Saints' Church. 

 Haggerston Road, E., on Friday, October 

 21st, 1881. The following members have 

 already promised exhibits: — Mr. Anderson 

 (President), Lepidoptera ; Mr. H. Bartlett, 

 Lepidoptera ; Mr. Barnes, Life Histories in 

 Lepidoptera ; Mr. J. A. Cooper, Lepidop- 

 tera, &c. ; Mr. W. Harper, Lepidoptera ; 

 Mr. Eedles and Mr. Huckett, Entomology, 

 &c; Messrs. Russell, J. Henderson, Pearson, 

 Cripps, Jobson, Gurney, Franklin, and 

 Albuay, Lepidoptera ; Mr. G. A. Lewcock, 

 Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Tickets of 

 admission (free) may be obtained by enclo J -' ^! 

 sing directed envelope and postage to the 0, 

 assistant secretary, Mr. G. A. Lewcock, 40, 

 Oxford Road, Islington, N. ; or by applying \, 

 to the secretary, Mr. C. Allen (on Thursday 

 evenings), at the Society's Room, io, Brown- 

 low Street, Dalston. 



