30 THE REARING OF LEPIDOPTERA, &C. 



under all circumstances, to keep them as nearly situated, in all possible re- 

 spects, as they would be in nature. 



Some larva may be fed on the growing plant ; if it be a tree, there can be a 

 gauze bag tied over the branch on which they are to feed, and when they 

 have stripped that branch, gently remove them to another by bending it to- 

 wards them ; when they have crawled on to the new branch put the gauze 

 over it as before, and so on ; of course, when nearly full-grown, the larvae 

 will have to be removed to the breeding box to undergo their change into the 

 pupa state. 



The above plan may be adopted in forcing some species of Diurnals to lay 

 their eggs ; it is not convenient to get a puncheon big enough to put over an 

 apple tree, but you can enclose the end of a branch in a bag, inside of which 

 the butterfly will lay its eggs. 



In rearing larva, I would recommend the rearing of large numbers of 

 even the common kinds, as it takes no more trouble to get food for a hundred 

 than it does for a dozen, and not only can you use all the butterflies that re- 

 sult therefrom in perfect condition, but you may be rewarded with varieties, 

 one alone of which might be sufficient reward for years of entomological 

 labour ; for instance, if you get from the willows, in June, the black spine- 

 covered caterpillars of Vanessa Antiopa, and transfer them to your breeding 

 cage and feed them a day or so you need not trouble yourself to get them 

 until they are nearly full-grown, gnless you wish to they will transform, and 

 in two weeks thereafter will emerge butterflies ; now, what may be the result? 

 Well, I will tell you what it was in my case : one emerged with the yellow 

 band of wings twice as broad as in the normal form, and with no vestiges of 

 the band of blue, submarginal spots that are on the ordinary specimens ; this 

 was the rare var. Hygicea, Hdrch., (Lintnerii, Fitch), and any one who each 

 successive season secures the larva of V. Antiopa will be sooner or later re- 

 warded with examples of this variety ; one friend got three, another one, so 

 you see the value of every season securing as many of the larva of V. Antiopa 

 from the willows as possible, and imprison them in your breeding cage ; if 

 they all come out the common form no harm is done you only need stand 

 your cage on the ledge of the open window, open its door and let them fly out 

 but if some wondrous variety is among them, how great the reward ! 



This species produces, besides other varieties, one in which the pale yellow 

 covers the full outer half of all wings ; another in which the marginal band 

 of primaries, instead of being yellow, is dark like the rest of the wing. 



Also secure all the larva of Pyrameis Cardui, which is found on the this- 

 tles; it is brown and yellow striped and covered with spines; though a 

 common species, there sometimes occurs a marvelous variety in which the 

 under side secondaries is plain white, and the upper surface is curiously orna- 

 mented with white, wedge-shaped marks on the nervures and nervules near 

 and at their terminations on the exterior margin of wings ; this is the rare 

 Vanessa Elymi, Rbr., occurring both in Europe and X. America. 



Pyrameis Atalanta, also, though much more seldom, produces a variety 

 entirely different from the ordinary form. 



Argynnis Idalia produces the variety Asktaroth, in which the upper side 

 of secondaries is plain black, devoid of spots, and the under surface has only 

 one great, silver spot ; of this species, however, the larvae is not yet known, 

 but doubtless, in common with the other Argymmhe, it feeds on violets. 



Papilio Asterius gives the splendid variety Gtl.cerleyi, in which the basal 

 half of all wings is black, and outer half rich orange. Rear all the larva of 



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