20 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
Lefidoptera. 
Petasia Nubeculosa. — I was ever an 
inventor or an improver of the suggestions 
of others ; and in reading Mr. Foxcroft’s 
account as to the manner in which the 
little bird led him to the exact spot, 
nearly to the top of the tree, then said 
here’s a fine one, make haste up, instead 
of bolting it himself, like other birds. 
How Mr. F. then boxed it. Away went 
the little bird to find another, and so on 
until Mr. F. was satisfied. Now is this 
peculiarity of the little bird confined en- 
tirely to the forest where P. N. is located, 
or is it common to the whole species. If 
it is, why what can be easier than to 
train one to seek for insects, just as our 
forefathers used the hawk — what lots of 
trouble entomologists would be saved — 
and what a number of new species may 
be found that reside higher up the tree 
than Nubecolosa ; or why not tame and 
train the Field Shrew to point like a dog 
at the base of a tree where a pupa is 
quietly awaiting its time to “ live again,” 
and so save a great deal of trouble in 
digging. By the bye there is nothing 
like digging for pupae as early as possible 
before the winter sets in, or you will find 
that Master Shrew has forestalled you. — 
A Lover of Novelty. 
Ennomos illustraria. — A very perfect 
specimen of this exquisitely beautiful 
Geometra was pinned on the trunk of a 
tree in Daren th Wood on Good Friday. 
- — One oe the six who were there. 
Lamprosetia Verhuellella. — I have 
some larvae of this insect which I shall 
be happy to send to those in want of it. 
I am very desirous to obtain Limenitis 
Sibilla or Apatura Iris. Could any one 
assist me ? — Rev. C. J. Bostock, Bide- 
ford , North Devon; April 8, 1857. 
Coleophora juncicolcl/a. — I have to-day 
found the larva of Coleophora juncicolella 
feeding on Calluna vulgaris , on Seamer 
Moor, on profusion: after the first two 
or three I detected, I found it such slow 
work I set to work with my net and 
brushed the tops of the heath, and got 
them in the greatest plenty. I also 
found the Phlaodes crenana and one 
Bulalis incongruella. The day was un- 
favourable or I should have found more. 
— T. Wilkinson, 6, Cliff Bridge Ter- 
race, Scarborough ; April 10, 1857. 
Something curious. — On taking two 
moths ( Eriogaster Lanestris and Tanio- 
campa gothica) out of a tin case contain- 
ing laurel-leaves to-day, I found the latter 
covered with spiculee, or needle-like 
crystals, as I first thought of Prussic 
acid; though, from my ignorance of 
chemistry, I am unable to say whether 
the acid ever assumes that form. The 
spiculee were some of them flatter than 
others, and some were evidently attached 
by one end to the scales of the wing, but 
they lay very irregularly, and broke im- 
mediately when bent. My theory of the 
acid does not, however, agree with the 
fact, that the Lanestris, which was en- 
closed in the same case, was entirely free 
from spicultfi. I then remembered 
having last year observed the same ap- 
pearance on a Scolioplergx Libatrix fresh 
from the pupa, and the Tccniocampa 
gothica, of which I am speaking, was 
also fresh from the pupa. 1 cannot re- 
collect whether I noticed the appearance 
in the Libatrix after death or before; 
but as these two are the only instances in 
my recollection, and I constantly kill in- 
sects by laurel-leaves, I incline to the 
belief that these spiculae are peculiar to 
certain insects under certain conditions. 
Probably it is nothing new, and I shall 
be glad to know from those more deeply 
read in Entomological lore than myself, 
whether any solution of the problem has 
appeared. — Rev. E. Horton, IFte/t, 
Worcester; April 8, 1857. 
The Jlistorg of a Long-horned Moth . — 
Dr. Hofmann, of Ratisbon, has sent me 
an account of the habits of the larva of 
Nemotois Violellus. In September, 1856, 
Dr. Hofmann found in the unripe seed- 
vessels of Gentiana asr/epiadca small, 
