tH 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
nothing but the Callunce variety in this 
part. So far from the larva being con- 
lined to the heather, it is abundant in 
the lanes, feediug apparently on almost 
everything growing in the fences; to 
find them in these situations is an 
arduous task, compared to the heather. 
In the neighbourhood of the Moors, 
generally bleak and barren districts, 
where stone walls occur in lieu of fences, 
the heather is the only place to find 
them. The larva taken in spring vary in 
appearance and also in size: iu their 
later stages they grow with amazing 
rapidity; they remain in the cocoon 
about a month, but others remain till 
the following season ; some of the lan ae 
will continue feeding till August and 
September, and then go iuto cocoon. 
The moths continue on the wiug from 
the end of June into August. I think it 
is very probable that the first moths 
which make their appearance are those 
which have passed the winter in the 
pupa state, and the constant flight of the 
moths is kept up into August from the 
present season’s cocoons. 
In the ‘Aunales Eut. Soc. France, 
1858,’ is an elaborate communication on 
this subject by M. Guenee, with figures 
of the young larva of Quercus and Cal- 
lunce. The difference is then very striking, 
but as they gel older the larvae cannot be 
separated. Your readers who are inte- 
rested in the subject must refer to the 
above, being too long for the pages of 
the * Intelligencer.’ 
Callunie is said to vary but little ; it 
is, in fact, most variable, especially the 
males : some are very small, others very 
large ; some deep chocolate, others red- 
dish brown. I possess a male and fe- 
male olive-brown ; the basal tawny patch 
is developed in an extraordinary manner, 
through all gradations to none at all ; 
the tawny bands assume all sorts of 
forms, sometimes very broad down to a 
narrow streak ; others occur, but rarely, 
without any band at all. The female is 
not so liable to these extraordinary 
changes ; it is chiefly in the tone of 
colour, some are very dark and others 
very light; the largest and darkest fe- 
males are from the Moors. 
I am indebted to Mr. E. Shepherd for 
four males of the southern Quercus with 
exceedingly broad tawny bands; it ap- 
pears to be an uncommon variety there, 
and this form in Callunce is rare down 
here. To Mr. Doubleday I am indebted 
for specimens of Quercus from Epping; 
these are small and appear as if the breed 
was running out, —unless they migrate 
northwards the tribe would become ex- 
tinct : he was kind enough to send me 
ten larvae this season ; all died in the 
cocoon, and believe the same fate at- 
tended his own. I was desirous of trying 
the experiment of taking our males with 
these southern females, and observing the 
result of their union; another season I 
hope to be more successful. 
In my opinion we have but a single 
species ( Quercus , Lin.), whose head- 
quarters are the Moors and Mosses of 
the North. From the end of June into 
August the males fly with amazing 
vigour in search of the females. In the 
highly cultivated districts, like Bowdou, 
where fences, lanes, &c., occur, we have 
not the same opportunity of observing 
their numbers on the wing, unless we 
attract them with a female. 
Below I give you a few extracts from 
my journal, show ing what peculiar habits 
occur through all the stages. 
1858. 
May 12. Carrington Moss ; on the 
heather picked up six Callunce larva: vari- 
able in size. 
