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24 The Naturalist. 



Anthemis tinctoria at Holdekness. — Anthemis tinctoria is mentioned 

 in last number of the Naturalist as having been found recently, for the 

 first time, in Yorkshire. I have, however, found it for two past seasons 

 in fields on the coast of Holderness, scattered sparingly, and doubtless 

 introduced with seed. — Geo. Webster, York, August 16th, 1876. 



Capture of Pachnohia alpina and Noctua sohrina. — Mr. Richardson 

 and I succeeded in taking Pachviobia alpina in the mountains near 

 Rannoch in a recent collecting expedition. Noctua sohrina turned up 

 just as we were coming away, but we secured a short series each. 



Norwich, August 10th. P. D. Wheeler. 



Urticating Larv^. — The hedges here were in the month of May 

 swarming with the caterpillars of the pretty brown-tail moth, Liparis 

 chrysorrhoea. These larvae have now become imagos, and you cannot fail 

 at every stroke of the stick to drive out numbers of them. Spiders have a 

 rare time of it. I counted dozens of hapless brown-tails in their webs : 

 some dead and sucked dry, others " alive and kicking," and struggling to 

 get free. Every entomologist is well aware of the urticating properties 

 of the hairs of the larvae ; but though I brought many of them home I 

 did not experience the least annoyance through handling them, Now, 

 however, strange to say, I cannot walk by the hedges where moths 

 abound without sufiering from a violent irritation of the face, neck, ahd 

 hands ; and this I have repeatedly noticed, that the effects are far worse 

 when the insects leave their cocoons, than in the larval state of their 

 existence. Why, I cannot say, except that it is possible as the moths 

 emerge, the hairs, which are so plentifully used in the construction of the 

 cocoons, are set free. It is said that in the summer of 1865, so numerous 

 were the caterpillars of Gnethocampa pityocampa in the Bois de Boulogne, 

 that it was considered dangerous for people to walk in the rides ; they 

 were consequently closed by the authorities. I should be glad to know of 

 any remedy for allaying the intolerable itching produced by these urti- 

 cating larvae and cocoons, for the latter are equally as bad as the former. 

 Does the irritation arise from the hairs merely piercing the skin, or are 

 they poisonous 1 — Joseph Anderson, J un. 



Chichester, J uly 29th. 



Rainfall at Huddersfibld. — During July, 2*09 in. of rain fell in 12 

 days, making a total for the seven months of 16 "32 in. The heaviest fall 

 was 0.70 in. on the 26th. The average of 1866-75 has been for the first 

 seven months of the year 17 '06 in., and for July, 2 '88 in. — J. W. Robson, 

 Dalton, 18th August, 1876. 



Rainfall at Wakefield in July. — There have been ten rainy days in 

 this month, making a total of 1*69 inches. The heaviest day's fall occurred 

 on the 26th, when the guage registered '55 inches. Temperature on the 

 16th, 94° in shade, it being the highest yet attained this year in this 

 district. — Frbdk. Hill, Kirkgate, Wakefield, August I7th, 1876. 



