THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
167 
duty of moths ; and now, although their 
numbers are less, the remnant are siill 
as wary and practised in shuffling arts 
as any of their race ever were. 
Gelechia vulgella still enters an ap- 
pearance on the boards, although two 
months after date, and affects as great a 
show of respectability as his limited 
means allow; but the extremities of his 
clothing show signs of hard wear, and 
I fear the end of his engagement is at 
hand. 
Gelechia nanatella and G. albiceps, the 
Caesar and Pompey of the genus, have 
abounded ; the former still exists quite 
fresh, but the latter has disappeared. 
G. senectella has occurred once, and, if 
I mistake not, I have to-night taken 
G. maculiferella. 
One or two species of Argyreslhia 
assume as usual a posture of abasement, 
hiding their diminished heads and ap- 
parently doing their best to stand on 
them, giving one the impression that in 
another minute they will turn a sum- 
merset, but I confess I never saw one 
do it. 
Of the ColeophorcF, nigricella and badi- 
ella as usual abound, looking, as they sit 
with their anlenntE porrected, as stiff as 
if they were sculptured. A week since I 
found C. Hemerobiella, the first time I 
ever saw it alive : the larva is reputed to 
feed on pear trees, and as there are some 
of these within the fence, though at 
some distance, the moths probably came 
thence. 
A stray Tortrix or two and an occa- 
sional Nepticula, shining like a speck of 
metal, are the chief species of Lepi- 
doptera that I have been able to see for 
the last few weeks. How the crop of 
little moths has fared in open ground it 
needs no conjuror to tell, and if they 
should be scarce next year we must 
remember what the deities were that 
presided over the nuptial rites in 1860. 
Probably we may be comforted when the 
rainy cycle is full, by learning that during 
a certain time only the average depth of 
rain has fallen, and that during that 
period the average number of moths 
may have existed. Much good may 
this delusive doctrine do to those who 
began to collect when the windows of 
heaven were opened ; truly it has rained 
quails for them. — J. W. Douglas, Lee ; 
August 20. 
SILENE NUTANS. 
To the Editor of the ‘ Intelligencer.' 
Sir, — In the paper read by you at the 
Meeting of the British Association, “ On 
some peculiar forms amongst Micro- 
Lepidopterous Larvae,” you made men- 
tion of one {Coleop/iora leucapennella) 
which feeds in the capsules of Silene 
nutans. Should any lover of Micro- 
Lepidoptera visit Llandudno during the. 
autumn I should recommend him to 
examine well the seed-heads of this local 
plant. It abounds on the upper ledges 
of the limestone rock that overhangs the 
town, and may be readily recognised by 
the drooping habit of its branches. The 
flowers are white, most expanded and 
sweetest in the evening. It is chiefly 
found on limestone and chalky places, 
as at Llandudno and the cliffs at Dover, 
where it flourishes in great perfection. 
The calyx, so ventricose in S. injlala, is 
only slightly swollen in nutans ! It 
was not in full fruit when I was at 
Llandudno in the summer months, so 
that I am unable to describe the capsule 
so fully as I could wish ; still the cap- 
sule in nutans will be found longer than 
in injlata. 
