THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
109 
threads ; when irritated they wriggle 
violently and thus jerk themselves away 
from the place where they are molested.” 
Of the genus to which these insects 
should he referred, Dr. Asa Fitch ob- 
serves, “The genus to which this insect 
belongs is principally characterized by 
having the scales with which the palpi 
are clothed very long, jutting forward 
from the head like a beak, with the 
last joint slender and projecting up- 
wards.” 
This structure of the palpi, the activity 
of the larva, and the fact that “ varieties 
of this moth are numerous,” would dispose 
us to refer it to the genus Cerostoma, the 
species being perhaps representative of 
our abundant Cerosloma raclialella. 
Of course a history of the cocoon would 
satisfy us at once whether the insect in 
question should be viewed as a Cerostoma 
or a Plutel/a, but unfortunately on this 
point the information is hardly so com- 
plete as we could wish ; however the 
larvae do not appear to form a dense 
cocoon at any rate, so that in this they 
differ from Cerostoma , but we should 
expect that, had they formed the elegant 
net-work cocoon of a Plulella, Dr. Fitch 
would have specially noticed it. The 
following is the entire passage which 
refers to the cocoon : — 
“ It appears to be the ordinary habit 
of these larvae to remain upon the trees 
and change to pupae in the same tuft of 
leaves in which the larvae have resided, 
the larva retiring into a fold of a par- 
ticular leaf and spinning a slight web of 
fine silken threads over itself, of so thin 
a texture that it may be seen through 
this web. But when they are numerous, 
multitudes of the larvae live openly ex- 
posed upon the leaves, and the foliage is 
so totally destroyed on many trees that it 
can furnish no safe retreats in which they 
can conceal themselves when ready to 
change to pupae. In such cases, as I 
infer from the habits of those in my 
breeding-cages, they secrete themselves 
under dry leaves on the surface -of the 
ground, in crevices of the bark and similar 
situations, spinning a slight web over 
themselves. As they remain in the pupa 
state only a short time they require no 
regular cocoon or other substantial fabric 
for their protection.” 
Could any of our American readers 
send us this insect? 
PRONUNCIATION AND MEANING OF 
NAMES. 
TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE ‘ INTELLI- 
GENCER.’ 
Sir, — I have often thought how useful 
a small Encycloptedia ou Lepidoptera 
and Coleoptera would be to entomolo- 
gists, and more particularly to tyros. 
Would it not be a good opportunity to 
carry out the views of your correspon- 
dents, J. S., T. J. Stainton and the Rev. 
P. H. Newnham, by introducing the ac- 
centation for the proper pronunciation of 
Latin and Greek names, which nobody 
can deny is much wanted? How many 
there are of young entomologists who 
may happen to know the species of an 
insect and not the genus, and vice versd, 
which an alphabetical arrangement would 
simply remedy. 
I should think that the great majority 
of names that your ‘ Annual’ list contains 
would become subscribers to such a work, 
and if each, by invitation, could be in- 
duced to send a short account of the 
time of appearance, &c., of the species 
peculiar to his locality, and more par- 
ticularly the rarer ones, how easily much 
and valuable information might be con- 
centrated to one focus. 
I throw out these hints with a hope 
that some more able pen will propose 
something better. 
Rustic us. 
Brighton ; Dec. 14. 
