84 The Naturalist. 



sylvatica.^ Like other of the Pyrales, it seems to prefer isolated and 

 somewhat stunted plants, as Mr. Barrett failed to find a specimen in 

 spots apparently very suitable, and where the plant grew luxuriantly. 

 Although only brought forward last year, several specimens had 

 evidently been taken previously, and were mixed up in collections 

 with sambucalis, to which species, as you may see from the example in 

 my cabinet, it bears a very striking resemblance. Mr. McLachlan 

 discovered one amongst his series of sambucalis, as did also Mr. Bond 

 in his ; the latter gentleman informed me he took his some years ago 

 at Kingsbury. No doubt there are others scattered over the country, 

 and I shall not be surprised if, when thoroughly known and carefully 

 looked for, it becomes a comparatively common species. Mr. Barrett 

 says it is readily recognised when on the wing, as it looks much more 

 like Scojmla olivalis than Ebulea sambucalis. The larvae of this genus 

 are much more sluggish than those we last considered, and feed in 

 webs spun under or between leaves. All the imagos fly between 

 June and August. 



Pionea, the next genus, has three species : the first being the well- 

 known " Garden Pebble," forficalis ; the others margaritalis and stra- 

 mentalis. Forficalis abounds in every kitchen garden in this district, 

 as I suppose it does also in every other in Britain. It flies with a slow 

 conspicuous motion amongst the various vegetables, depositing its 

 eggs on cabbages, horse-raddish, &c., on which its larvse feed. When 

 full-grown, in the autumn, the larva spins a rather compact cocoon in 

 crevices on palings, &c,, but instead of changing to a chrysalis in a 

 few days, as do those of most lepidoptera, it remains within the 

 cocoon all winter, and changes in spring. Not that this is the only 

 species in which this trait occurs, as others in genera we have already 

 considered, as well as a few species in the earlier orders of the lepi- 

 doptera also have the same characteristic. Of margaritalis and 

 stramentalis I know but little personally; the former seems to be 

 common in the various fenny districts, and the latter is taken freely 

 in many places in the south, — my own series, I believe, was sent to 

 me, by Mr. G. B. Corbin, from the New Forest. The larva of mar- 

 garitalis is found in August, under a web amongst the seed-heads of 

 wild mustard, but although it appears to feed up in autumn, like 

 forficalis it does not become a pupa until spring. The early history 

 of stramentalis, I believe, is quite unknown. The imagos of all three 

 species fly at midsummer. 



* A history and description of the supposed larva of this species, by Mr. "William 

 Buckler, is published in the "Entomologists' Monthly Magazine" for November 

 last. 



