—Communicated by Henry Doubleday, Esq. [The names added in Italics are either those used in Mr. Doubleday's List' for the same species, or are supposed by M. Guenée to be varieties of the species the name of which precedes each in Roman characters.]

Tephrosia laricaria.-I have now by me the pupa of laricaria, which I hope shortly to see in their last stage. The larvæ, which I beat from the larch while in Lancashire last August, are so varied in colour that it would not be possible to give an accurate description of them unless they were before me. Having also taken and bred the larva of crepuscularia (which feeds upon the oak), I state as my firm belief that laricaria is not a variety of it. I have taken crepuscularia in the greatest abundance, both in this neighbourhood and elsewhere in the Midland Counties, but never took a single laricaria nor one intermediate variety.-Henry Burney; Wavendon Rectory, February 20, 1858.-From the 'Intelligencer.'

Gnophos obscuraria.—With regard to obscuraria, as far as my experience goes, I should decidedly incline to the opinion that it is a distinct species, and not a variety of pullaria. About eighteen years ago, when mothing on Parley Heath, in Hampshire, in company with Mr. Dale, we found the former insect in the most wonderful profusion that can be conceived. They were at rest in the dry mounds of cut turf or peat, on brushing the sides of which with the net they flew out in the most distracting abundance. I caught a great number, all of which were exactly alike,—no intermediates between that and pullaria. Indeed, I have generally considered obscuraria to be a heath insect. Pullaria I have usually met with in stone quarries and chalk pits. Near Bath it is not at all uncommon in the large free-stone quarries, and among the Bath Hampton Rocks, also in Portland, and is quite common in the chalk pits on the South Downs near Lewes and Brighton. Neither occur in this part of England. -Id.

Gnophos pullaria.-The larva of this specics hybernates about half fed; it begins to feed again in April. I found two some years since near Matlock; they fed up upon the salad burnet (Potesium sanguisorba, L.), and from one of them I bred the perfect insect. They closely resembled Hübner's figure of the larva of G. obscuraria. I found them by pulling up the grass and low-growing plants by the roots. The larva conceals itself by day. There was a great deal of Helianthemum vulgare inter

mingled with the Poterium sanguisorba in the locality where I found them.-H. Harpur Crewe; Stowmarket, February 20, 1858.—Id.

Larva of Harpalyce sagittaria.-Seeing by the 'Intelligencer' that the larva of H. sagittaria appears to be unknown, I beg to send you the following description with particulars:-Larva pale drab, with several fine and distinct lines of a dark drab colour running parallel down the sides; a chain of rhombus-shaped markings of the same colour down the centre of the back, one on each segment, with a central spot in each also dark drab. In July, 1855, I captured a female, which laid nearly thirty eggs; they hatched in about ten days. I fed the larvæ upon arrow-head (Sagittaria); they seemed to prefer the flowers, but they ate sparingly and grew very slowly, as by the end of September they appeared only three parts grown; their number had also diminished to about eight or nine. I then gave them to Mr. Bond, who kept them alive till October, but they afterwards died. From my failure to rear them I conclude either that the larva hybernates or that Sagittaria is not their proper food. -Thomas Brown; 13, King's Parade, Cambridge, March 5, 1858.—Id.

Flavicinctaria and Casiaria.—In M. Guenée's work on Geometræ, I understand he unites two species, and makes them varieties of one and the same; I allude to flavicinctaria and cæsiaria. I believe I can prove that these species are distinct: when in Scotland, last summer, I took and examined fully 1000 specimens of cæsiaria, and in no instance could I find any of that beautiful deep yellow, which is one of the most striking colours in flavicinctaria. In the month of July I took some larvæ feeding on the common heath: they were new to me; they were of a dark colour, with some purple angular markings on the back: in August these produced cæsiaria. This insect swarms on all the mountains in Perthshire, and is equally abundant in the valleys and on the mountain tops: wherever there is heath there is cæsiaria. After this species has been out about three weeks, if you go up the burns or mountain water-courses, but at some elevation, you will find flavicinctaria just Of course, as cæsiaria is everywhere, you will see them along with flavicinctaria, but you will not find the latter species at any distance from the watercourses, as the larva feeds on Saxifrage, which only grows in the burns. Another instance of the specific distinctness of the insects is that, though they are both found at rest on the faces of rocks, cæsiaria is excessively restless, and flies off before you can get to them to box them, but all the flavicinctaria are left behind.— H. J. Harding; 1, York Street, Church Street, Shoreditch, March 8, 1858. [M. Guenée, in bis Errata and Addenda, admits that our flavicinctata must be considered distinct, but doubts whether it be the Continental species known by that name. However, Freyer, who treats of the larva of the Continental flavicinctata, says it feeds on Saxifraga petræa; the larva he figures as dull green, with a row of reddish white dorsal triangles.]—Id.

out.

Undescribed Geometræ Larvæ.—I have repeatedly bred Cabera rotundaria from the larva, which feeds on birch: it is very similar to the larva of pusaria, but, I think, is rather thicker towards the abdomen, and I believe does not vary from pale green to quite brown, as the latter does: the larva of rotundaria is pale green. I bred a specimen of Bapta temeraria from a beautiful bright green larva, with a red head and marked with red on each segment: it was beat from a wild cherry tree at Joydon Wood, in September, and the insect appeared last June. The larva of Cheimatobia borearia is not uncommon at West Wickham, in June, on

birch: this larva is very similar to that of brumaria, but more transparent and the lines less distinct; it has a brown head, thus differing from the larva of brumaria, the head of which is always green. I have bred several specimens of Ypsipetes ruberaria from larvæ obtained on Wimbledon Common in September; they fed in curled-up leaves of sallow: it is a dirty white or grayish larva, and is slightly hairy. Of Phæsyle miaria I have bred several specimens from larvæ obtained from oak and birch, in Headley Lane, in the middle of August: it is a long slender green larva, with two forks projecting beyond the abdomen.-W. Machin; 35, William St., Globe Fields, Mile End, March 9, 1858.-Id.

Undescribed Geometra Larvæ.-I bred a specimen of C. miata this autumn from a larva beaten off alder, full fed August 18: it so closely resembled the larva of C. russata that at the time I did not detect the difference: the pupa was covered with a bloom like that of C. trapetzina. I had seven or eight larvæ of C. obliquaria in 1856, and bred the perfect insect in 1857: I beat them off broom (Spartium scoparium) towards the middle of August: this larva closely resembles that of C. spartiata, but is a much darker green, and wants the yellowish tinge; it is also thicker towards the head, and not so smooth: I think there can be no doubt whatever that Lyonet is entirely mistaken in supposing that it feeds on bramble; I am convinced that it is exclusively a broom feeder: the perfect insect is out from the middle of May to the middle of July: I took it, this last season, without intermission between May 20 and July 7: the larva of C. spartiata is full fed in June and July; it has sometimes a regular yellow stripe on each side. M. Guenée remarks upon the difficulty of rearing the larva of E. cervinaria through the winter: any one who takes the trouble may find the larva abundantly in June by searching among the leaves of Malva sylvestris, and sometimes on the common garden bollyhock: it is then not at all difficult to rear, but must have plenty of air, as it perspires very freely. -H. Harpur Crewe; Stowmarket, March 9, 1858.-Id.

Successful removal of the Eggs of the Ichneumon from a Larva of Deilephila Galii.-One day, towards the end of October last, when staying at Deal, we were looking for the larva of Deilephila Galii, after the ground had been carefully hunted both by Mr. Stevens and myself, so that we scarcely hoped to meet with any, and were about to relinquish our search in despair, when we came upon a fine larva nearly full fed. This was immediately boxed and carried home in triumph. On opening the box, however, our satisfaction was considerably diminished on perceiving some twenty or thirty whitish spots, which turned out to be Ichneumon eggs. Having heard that the attempt to remove the eggs was sometimes successful, we determined to make the experiment. Our first trial was with a fine needle, but this proved a complete failure, as the needle would not penetrate the hard shell of the egg: we then tried to crush the eggs with a small pair of fine-pointed forceps; this, though a satisfactory mode of destroying the eggs, caused great annoyance to the larva, which jerked itself into a circle when they were applied, so that we feared it would impale itself on the sharp points. The servant then brought a large darning needle, and this proved a most efficient instrument, piercing the eggs, and, in some cases, lifting them off entire, without apparent inconvenience to the caterpillar. In a few days it laid up to change, and soon appeared a fine healthy pupa. In the middle of December it was placed in a small fern-glass by the fire, the pupa covered with moss, which was kept constantly damped, and about a month afterwards came out a fine female, without the slightest blemish.-J. T. Syme; 11, Gower Street, Bedford Square, February 18, 1858.—Id.

Capture of two Coleopterous Insects new to the British List. I have much pleasure in recording the capture of two small, but very interesting, genera, Sphærius and Ptinella, both, as far as I can discover, new to the British Fauna: they were taken by myself, some time ago, in Oxfordshire, but, in consequence of the removal of our family from that part of the country, had become till lately almost forgotten. The Sphærius acaroides, Waltl., was found in June, 1854, on a wall in our garden : this is a well-named insect; it exactly resembles in size, shape and colour, the black shining Acarus often found in decaying vegetable matter, and requires a close scrutiny to assure oneself that it is a Coleopterous insect at all. The Ptinella belongs to that section of the genus which has no visible eyes or wings: it appears to be distinct from any species hitherto described; the nearest approach to it is the Ptilium apterum of Guérin, figured in Gillmeister's Monograph of the Trichopterygidæ, but it differs from that species in many important characters, which I will shortly notice it was taken at Weston-on-the-Green, in Oxfordshire, in July, 1853: the velocity of its motions is wonderful, far exceeding the well-known activity of the true species of Trichopteryx, and would seem impossible to an animal not endued with the power of sight. While I was observing it, it coursed several times along the back of a large spotted slug, Limax maximus, whose slimy skin did not in the least impede its motions.

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PTINELLA BRITANNICA.

Elongata, haud depressa, aptera, rufo-testacea, fortius punctata; oculis nullis; capite lato, obtuso, rufo-piceo; pronoto transversali, postice contracto, rufo-piceo, angulis anterioribus productis, posterioribus rectis; elytris capite atque pronoto longioribus, magis subtiliter punctatis, testaceis, ad humeros angustis, medio latioribus, margine postico valde sinuato; abdomine elongato, lateribus marginatis, segmentis quinque apertis, penultima magno, obtuso; antennis et pedibus pallidis, elongatis, gracillimis, singulis antennarum articulis corona setarum nigrarum ornatis. Elongate, rufo-testaceous, deeply punctured, clothed with a pale pubescence. Head wide, rounded in front, rufo-piceous behind, paler towards the mouth. Prothorax rufo-piceous, transverse, about as long as the head, much contracted near the base, with the anterior angles produced, embracing the base of the head, and the posterior angles nearly at right angles. Elytra testaceous, more fiuely punctured and rather longer than the head and prothorax united, narrowest at the shoulders, and widest about the middle, with the posterior margin very deeply sinuated. Abdomen long, with its sides deeply margined, five segments uncovered, the penultimate large and very obtuse, the apical segment very small. Legs and antennæ pale, long and slender; on the upper part of each articulation of the antennæ is a conspicuous whorl of strong black setæ. Length lin.

This species differs from P. apterum, Guér., in the much larger size, in the shape of the prothorax, which is much wider in front; in the contracted extremities and deeply sinuated hinder margin of the elytra, and in the obtuse form and margined sides of the abdomen.-A. Matthews; Gumley, Market Harborough, March 16, 1858.