THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
39 
“ During April and May, 1857, 1 made 
several excursions in quest of the cases 
of Vitisella, and was much surprised to 
see them in different stages of growth, 
some fed up, and others, of all sizes, 
feeding: this puzzled me at the time, 
but, taking into consideration, the strong 
leathery leaf of Vaccinium Vilis-Idaa, 
it struck me that these little crea- 
tures cannot get on as usual, and must 
have a longer time. As an experiment 
I gathered a lot of these feeding larvaa, 
and brought away several roots of Vitis- 
Idcea, to add to what I already had 
growing in nay garden at Bowdon: I 
placed the cases on the plants, and they 
attached themselves to the under side; 
the full-grown cases, in the course of a 
few days, either died or fixed themselves 
on the upper side of the leaf: these I re- 
moved into the house to breed the moths; 
the others kept feeding on, and it has 
been a source of amusement ever since 
to watch their progress. On Sunday 
morning last (April 18) 1 observed five or 
six had fixed themselves on the upper 
side, others, of various sizes, still feeding. 
The two cases sent to you from them are 
not half-grown ; I got them in April, 
1857, therefore they must have been 
hatched in 1856: it is now April, 1858, 
so you can calculate for yourself their 
age ; that they feed hvo years I am quite 
certain , having had them under my own 
care. 
“ I think it useless to say any more to 
convince you they feed this extraordinary 
length of time, two or even three years. 
If you think proper, you are at liberty to 
publish these remarks in the ‘ Intelli- 
gencer,’ and other collectors can prove it 
themselves. 
“ Most truly yours, 
“ R. S. Edleston.” 
Do any other larvae of the genus grow 
as slowly ? Anatipennella larva appears 
in May as nearly full fed, and one never 
seems to stumble upon a growing larva 
of that species; but then who ever found 
a larva of Anatipennella feeding in July ? 
Yet if it lived through the year, like 
Vitisella, this would be sure to happen. 
Does the experience of other observers of 
Vitisella confirm Mr. Edleston’s state- 
ment? — H. T. Stainton, Mountsfield, 
Leivisham ; April 22. 
PS. Since writing the above I have 
received some larvae of Vitisella from 
Mr. Hague, with the remark, “ I here- 
with send four; two full fed and two 
that will feed twelve months.'" — H. T. S.; 
April 24. 
PICTARIA’S COMPLAINT. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ‘INTELLI- 
GENCER.’ 
Dear Sir, — In the memory of the 
oldest inhabitant of Dartford Heath, and 
we have lived there many a day, such 
grand illuminations were never before 
seen in the evening. 
Indeed, sir, as a lonely widow, now 
that my poor dear Aleucis was basely in- 
tercepted, three mornings ago, by a hor- 
rible villain with an immense white net, 
just when, Romeo like, in the cold grey 
dawn, he was leaving me in a state of 
agitated flutter,— indeed, sir, I can hardly 
hold my pen to describe how that villain 
stepped from behind the big bush, and, 
before poor Aleucis could get up into 
those fir trees, — sir, you know them, — that 
big net took him for ever from my eyes: 
/line illee lacrymce ! 
And now, sir, how are we to do our 
duty as we have been done by, in this 
our short spell of remaining life? 
If the Heath is thus to be illuminated 
every evening, how are we to lay our 
eggs ? 
