110 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ‘INTELLI- 
GENCER.’ 
Sir, — A list of the European Lepi- 
doptera and Coleoptera would no doubt 
be extremely useful, but if it were com- 
bined with the list of British Lepidoptera 
and Coleoptera I am afraid it would 
render the book too expensive for those 
for whom it was primarily designed — the 
working classes. Afterwards I should 
be delighted to see a work published like 
that which Mr. Wallace proposes, but I 
think the list of the British Lepidoptera 
and Coleoptera should appear first, in a 
cheap form, suited to the pockets of those 
who need it most. I'liope those gentle- 
men who have kindly undertaken to 
execute such a work will bear this in 
mind. 
I remain, Sir, 
Yours very truly, 
T. J. Stainton. 
NOTES ON NOCTILE. 
(From G ueuees ‘ Histoire Nalurelle des 
IS'oclutlites.’ ) 
[Continued from p. 87.] 
Dianlhcccia. 
The eggs which produce the larvae of 
Dianlhcccia are deposited by the females 
either on the extremity of the calyx or 
on the corolla of the flower ; in about a 
week the eggs hatch, and the larvae, 
creeping out immediately, begin to enter 
the buds; once entered, without taking 
the trouble to close the opening, they 
retire near the ovary ; if it is sufficiently 
developed, or if it belongs to a plant of 
sufficient size that its bulk can last them 
for some time, they introduce themselves 
within it; should the contrary be the 
case, they devour the petals and feed on 
the ovary itself without entering it, being 
sufficiently sheltered by the calyx, which 
is still hermetically closed. The growth 
of these larvae is rapid, and the period 
soon arrives when the capsule of which 
they have eaten all the seeds can no 
longer contain them; then they make a 
larger hole and go in search of another 
capsule. They generally prefer those 
which, still green, contain the tenderest 
seeds, but when these are no.longer within 
reach they are content with the dried 
capsules, of which the seeds are so hard 
that they can hardly be bruised by the 
nail'; the larvae then have acquired a 
tolerable size, and it becomes altogether 
impossible for those which live on those 
plants which have very small capsules, 
such as Dianthus , Silene, &c., to con- 
tinue to lodge within ; they then retire to 
the foot of the plant, and only come up 
to take their food at night; but those 
which feed on the larger species of Ca- 
njophyllaccce remain in the capsules till 
the period of their transformation. 
From this we see that the larvae of 
Dianthwcia, thanks to their peculiar 
habits, are easily discovered. If we take 
home a handful of the plant which they 
prefer, and keep them a certain lime, we 
shall see developed the young larvae from 
the eggs which were on the plant, or we 
may go out of an evening into the fields, 
and, with the aid of a lantern, easily dis- 
cover the adult larvae, which have climbed 
up to the top of the stems, and the body 
often half buried in the capsule. One of 
these two modes of proceeding would 
certainly lead to the discovery of the 
larvae of all the Dianlheeciee which are 
still unknown. But we must observe 
that the larvae of the most distinct spe- 
cies hardly differ from one another; 
thus Albimacula , Capsincola and Con- 
spersa are very difficult to distinguish 
one from the other, especially when we 
find them, as sometimes happens, to- 
gether on the same plant. 
The pupae also present a very remark- 
able character ; it is a button-like pro- 
jection which terminates the covering of 
