also, but stuck fast just at a tertiary branch, the small remaining portion of which precisely represented the backward process of the larval spine. I never met with another rolled leaf that happened in exact number, size, and position, to represent all the processes of the larva as this one did, but any rolled and abandoned leaf bore a very close resemblance to the larva. The cocoon is the most Cerura-like phase of this insect; it is made on the bark of the tree; though rather rounder and not quite so flat, it is in favourable specimens very like a Cerura in a similar locality. It differs, however, in several particulars. In its construction the larva first makes a silken net over itself at the site of the cocoon; this is so open and flimsy looking, and so close down on the larva, which is rolled together under it, that it is surprising how the larva can move about inside to continue the work, and how in doing so it does not tear all to pieces. Cerura, on the other hand (I have watched bifida and bicuspis), selects a place for its cocoon, and begins at what will be the tail of the cocoon by making what looks like its head, a little structure like the toe of a slipper; it pushes this end forward, working beneath it by loosening its attachments in front, and pushing its head under, spinning a continuation of it; in this way it gets under and detaches from the surface any bits of lichen and loose fragments of bark, which thus adhere in precisely their natural positions to the surface of the cocoon, and so much help its concealment; and having in this way pushed the front of the cocoon forward to its place, it closes the hinder end, and begins the excavating process by which it obtains the materials to form the outer part of the cocoon of a sort of artificial bark. H. milhauseri gets to the surface of the cocoon some colouring matters or lichenous material from the surface of the bark, and puts a little detached material round the margin of the cocoon to make it fit a little; but the face of the cocoon, instead of being like that of Cerura, an artificial bark, is almost pure silk of a dense gummy substance, such as I have seen vinula make under difficulties when he could get no wood to work with. Milhauseri only slightly smooths the bark beneath the cocoon, and covers it with gummy silk. Cerura lies in a neatly excavated cavity in the bark with practically no silken lining. Partly by its original close structure, and partly by contraction as it matures, this cocoon fits the pupa more closely than any other cocoon I have met with, so that, combined with its dense horny texture, it is extremely difficult to open it without injuring the contained pupa. This close fitting of the cocoon to the pupa is related to perhaps the most curious of all the facts I have observed in this species, that is, its method of emergence; which is, I think, perhaps the most remarkable of any of the many remarkable provisions in different Lepidoptera for the escape of the moth from its cocoon. As the shortest way of describing this process, I will call it cutting out a lid with a sardine opener. Cerura bursts an irregular lid, having first softened the place with some fluid, and in many instances the broken lid falls back for a time into its place; the lid is irregular in form, often in several pieces, just as accident decides; but milhauseri marks out with his sardine-opener an exact definite lid, of which there is no trace or indication in the construction of the cocoon, and continues cutting on this exact line until the lid is set free. This lid is of oval shape, but with the anterior margin more rounded than the posterior. There is something more to be learnt about the action of this sardine-opener than I have yet ascertained, but I can give a few more particulars. First, as to the implement itself. In the pupa, just in front of the eyes and between the bases of the antennæ, is a deep pit, having at the bases of the antennæ, on either side, a sharp margin, almost a horn; stretching up from below, from the mouth region towards the pit, is a flat surface slightly furrowed and wrinkled, and terminating at the front margin of the deep pit (though one would say at first sight in the middle of it), in a straight spine projecting well beyond the general surface of the pupa, sharply pointed and polished; a slight ridge stretches back from the spine through the pit, and fades out on to the surface of the pupa, so that the pit might be described as a double furrow, stretching from before backwards. This spine is the sardine-opener, and by a lateral rotatory movement of the pupa, which obtains its fulcrum from the tightness with which it is grasped by the cocoon, it traverses over and over again the outlines of the lid till it is cut through. I have not seen this operation performed, for the reason that when you attempt to see it you stop it; but I have caught the creature actually at work, and can add this further fact, that the spine in some way applies to its line of action a softening fluid, and it is the softened gum that it actually cuts or divides. The fluid no doubt comes from the same mouth-glands as in other cocoon-softening species, but the precise means by which it is guided by the spine I have not ascertained; whether the pit at its base has anything to do with it I cannot say, or whether this pit is a means of giving this portion of the pupa-case, which includes the eye-covers, a firm attachment to the moth; but very often it remains attached to the moth after the rest of the pupacase has been pushed away backwards. The imago is very delicate and easily rubbed, and such a specimen is a very disappointing representative of so curious a life-history; but a specimen in fine condition, from its delicate tints and unusual markings is very pleasing. Firbank, Hereford. FAROE ISLANDS. BY REV. F. A. WALKER, D.D., F.L.S., &c. THE long mountain ranges of the Faroe Islands in full view, with a bank of snowy clouds resting along its whole extent. On nearer approach the islands present a succession of many peaks, some near the sea, others more in the background, with grassy slopes and table land intervening in front. The cliffs of Oster (East) Island wear a majestic appearance, 2200 feet in perpendicular height above the sea that laves their base, and the slopes of shale that have fallen from their weather-beaten surface. Westmanhavn, where our vessel is to make a brief stay, is situate on another island, that of Stromoe. There are also inland cliffs sideways to the sea, some 1600 feet in height, covered from top to bottom with short grass, but presenting too steep a gradient ever to be climbed, and a singular aspect, as cliffs of their steepness are usually bare, with the exception of some grassy ledges. The highest elevation in the Faroes is, I am told, 2800 feet. "Splendid nature!" said the mate of our vessel, as I stood chatting with him on the prospect this beautiful morning; and I heartily concur with him. The cliffs and hills look green after those of Iceland, being clothed with turf up to their very summits; and there is a chasm on the brink of one of them 1000 feet deep, communicating by a narrow fissure on the sea level with the waves. We are now passing between Oster and Stromoe islands, through a very narrow strait, dangerous in stormy weather. Sea caves that can only be approached by water are as numerous on one side of this strait as are watercourses trickling down the slopes on the other. The church and dwelling houses of Westmanhavn are all built of wood as in Iceland, and there are numerous crops of vegetables on the grassy slopes around, and some patches of barley here, whereas no cereal is seen there. The potatoes, now in full blossom, look remarkably flourishing, as the climate is particularly warm and sheltered round these land-locked fjords, very different from that we have just quitted. I imagine that one cause of the diversity of the temperature is to be found in the great altitude of the Alpine heights environing the Icelandic fjords, and keeping off the sun altogether in the dark days of winter. Here the verdant hills are sufficiently high to shelter the borders of the fjord, but not perpendicular and lofty enough to cast a gloom over it, and retard its products. Another great cause of the milder climate is no doubt to be attributed to the Gulf Stream. I captured two specimens of Nebria brevicollis, and observed our ordinary Tipula oleracea once more; also the plants Narthecium ossifragum and Scabiosa as with us, but had no time to make further observations as we had to start very shortly again for Thorshavn. As we advance, the fjord widens, the cliffs seem more stupendous, on our right is the open sea, and in front of us are other islands of the Faroe group which we are rapidly approaching. There are twenty-four islands in all, and one of the easternmost is known as Needle Island, from a cave at one end of the isle forming an aperture right through, and known accordingly as the "eye of the needle." The entrance to Thorshavn is said. to be a very ugly one in bad weather, when the S.E. wind prevails. Thorshavn and the fields immediately adjoining appear to me to furnish a link between Iceland and southern civilization. It is true that the Faroe Isles possess no trees except in the garden borders, but in those garden borders there are more and larger currant bushes than in Iceland; and in addition mountain ash trees, willows, sycamores, &c., of fair height; and more garden flowers grown in the open air, including tiger lilies and monkshood. Then again, I see once more some of our common English wild flowers, which are not to be met with, or at all events I have not found, in Iceland, as the daisy and milkwort (Polygala). The flowers of the eyebright (Euphrasia) are larger than in Iceland, and other wild flowers as Caltha palustris more abundant than there. Oats as well as barley are grown at Thorshavn, and the variety and luxuriance of the wild grasses is remarkable. Earwigs and froghoppers, both unseen in Iceland, are beheld once more here. In other respects the Fauna of the two regions would appear to be very similar. Compare the following list of Faroe Island insects, the result of the necessarily brief observation of half a day spent there: COLEOPTERA.-Nebria brevicollis, Westmanhavn, Thorshavn. Pterostichus, Thorshavn. DIPTERA.-Helophilus pendulus,* Thorshavn. Scatophaga stercoraria,* Thorshavn. LEPIDOPTERA.-Larentia didymata,* Thorshavn. ORTHOPTERA.-Forficula auricularia, Thorshavn. An asterisk is affixed to such species as are also noticed in Iceland. The Nebria brevicollis of the Faroes is replaced in Iceland by the slightly smaller but closely allied Nebria gyllenhali. I may add, in conclusion, that the Faroe islanders number about 10 or 12,000, and only seven of their twenty-four islands are inhabited. The climate varies but 7° centigrade between summer and winter. Dun Mallard, Cricklewood, N.W. ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS A LIST OF THE VARIETIES OF NOCTUÆ OCCURRING IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS.-As these papers have become somewhat voluminous in character, we have decided to discontinue their publication in the Entomologist.' It is understood that the author, Mr. J. W. Tutt, is making arrangements for the re-issue of the early papers, which, together with others in continuation, will appear in book-form. For further particulars apply to Mr. TUTT; Westcombe Park, S.E. THE LATE MR. F. BOND.-To the list of notes on entomological subjects by the late Mr. Bond, contained in the memoir of him (Entom. xxii. 265), should, I think, be added that he contributed records of his captures in the Cambridgeshire Fens to the entomological portion of Fenland, Past and Present' (a bulky volume published in 1878). When engaged in assisting to get together the list of Lepidoptera captured in the district, and therein contained, I visited Mr. Bond at Staines, and Mr. Dunning's charming description of his visit might well apply to my own. But unfortunately my object prevented but the most cursory glance at Mr. Bond's rich collection of insects. He had written to me to come early, so I was at his home by an early hour in the morning, and my visit lasted till past ten at night, and has left a delightful memory of a kindly enthusiast, brimful of practical knowledge. I took down with me an early proof of the list, and we went through it seriatim, putting in Mr. Bond's localities and additional species. What this indicates may be gleaned from the text of the work, where it is stated that "upwards of fifty species, otherwise not recorded in the district, and the greater portion of which have probably become extinct," were then added by Mr. Bond, "besides much additional information as to other species." This information he gave almost entirely from memory, interspersed with reminiscences of the circumstances attending the capture of the species. He rarely referred to notes, and when he did so, generally as to a question of date,-it was to an interleaved copy of Stainton's Manual,' which appeared to contain notes and dates of most of his interesting captures. This copy must be very valuable, and should not be lost sight of. When the additional matter was in type I sent it to Mr. Bond, and he again went through it and checked it, the result being that the work contains a permanent record of Mr. Bond's most interesting captures in the district, and it is well known that he was by far the most assiduous and successful collector in the rich fenlands of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire before the great drainage schemes changed the face of the country. As an instance of Mr. Bond's reticence in publishing his captures may be mentioned that at the time the claim of Argyrolepia schreberiana to be British rested upon the single specimen. taken at Yaxley by Mr. Bouchard, and published in the Entomologist's Annual' of 1855, Mr. Bond took about a dozen specimens at Wicken, which were unrecorded. Mr. Bond explained to me the locality, and being an out-of-the-way spot, not likely to be visited, he said he felt certain the insect was still there. This has received confirmation by its capture in recent years. Among notable insects which Mr. Bond was the first to discover may be mentioned Macrogaster castanea (arundinis), Tapinostola hellmanni, and Nonagria neurica, and the larvæ of N. canna and Noctua subrosea. Among the Micro-Lepidoptera Mr. Bond also worked most successfully, |