226 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Oct. 1, 1869. 



We cannot particularize chapters, or papers, 

 where so many are worthy; nor within our pre- 

 scribed limits indulge in quotations, but we can and 

 do hope to welcome this annual volume for many a 

 year to come. 



THE OAK EGGAR MOTH. 



A LL entomologists are acquainted with the fact 

 -*-*- that certain females of moths emit some 

 powerful odour not perceptible to human nostrils, 

 but so attractive to the males of the same species, 

 as to draw them from great distances to the spots 

 where the females are placed ; and that when under 

 the influence of this attraction, the males lose all 

 idea of self-preservation. Having reared from the 

 larvae several females this year, I have spent some 

 days trying experiments with them, the results of 

 which may be interesting to the readers of Science- 

 Gossip. 



Saturday, July Mth — Took a female, deformed 

 in the wings, to Bramber. Only two males came 

 up in seven hours. Very few whitethorn hedges or 

 oak-trees are in this neighbourhood. 



Thursday, July 29th— Took another female to 

 Hassock's Gate station, between which and the 

 entrance to the Clayton Tunnel over fifty males 

 were attracted, twenty -five of which were taken. 

 The female was in a box with a muslin top, and was 

 being carried in a closed basket. When the first 

 male appeared, he not only flew to, but tried to 

 enter the basket. Placed the box on a heap of 

 stones by the roadside, when eight males came up. 

 Moved to a clover field, and put tbe box on the gate 

 post ; males came up freely, and allowed themselves 

 to be taken off the post. Entered a field with a 

 wood at the bottom ; placed the box at the'opposite 

 corner, so as to have an uninterrupted view of over 

 two hundred yards, and for more than two hours 

 watched the proceedings of the males. The wind 

 was very high from S.W., and blowing from us. 

 Males came up singly, by twos and threes, at inter- 

 vals ; many we saw flying over the wood, and traced 

 them coming with swallow-like flight to the box. 

 Some, when within a yard or two of the box, 

 dropped in the grass, and wildly approached, half 

 crawling, half flying. Others, with peculiar fluttering 

 movement, flew round and round, and then settled 

 on the box, from which they were easily taken. 

 Others, which flew past the box a dozen yards, and 

 ten or twelve feet above, having apparently lost the 

 scent, flew away against the wind, and were lost to 

 view. One very battered male, with a peculiar tear 

 in the right under wing, was taken four times. It 

 was set free first to the right, then in front, next to 

 the left, and lastly to the rear of the box, each time 

 about one hundred yards off. After the last setting 

 off, it was not seen again : in the first three cases it 



came back at once. This seemed conclusively to 



show the scent was borne by the wind. We also 

 noticed that when above the box they had no diffi- 

 culty in finding it, but when below, they appeared 

 lost and wild. We next shifted our quarters to a 

 small wood, where not one male appeared ; but on 

 our way back to the station several flew to the box, 

 one, in fact, settled on my back. Between 12.20 

 p.m., when the first was taken, and 8 o'clock, when 

 the last was caught, we counted over fifty. 



Friday, July 30^.— Out at Hollingbury Combe 

 for four hours ; no males seen, and but few hedge- 

 rows. Next day, Saturday, the same female was 

 taken to a copse on the Dyke Road, with a like 

 result. 



Wednesday, August 4th— Took two females to 

 Hassock's Gate, but in a different direction from 

 the preceding week. Wind high, from S.W., with 

 rain, and obliged to take shelter under the oak-trees, 

 yet between 2 and 5 o'clock nineteen males were 

 seen. Tried the effect of placing the boxes at 

 varying heights. When hung on the branch of an 

 oak, males seemed to have great difficulty in finding 

 it, and flew round frantically. When placed on a 

 hedge, they readily reached it by crawling and flut- 

 tering up the hedge. Next placed the boxes on the 

 ground, when a male was seen approaching ; it 

 immediately flew to and settled on the box. Two 

 curious incidents happened ; a flock of sheep were 

 passing just as a male was approaching; so we 

 lowered the box, the male flew over the backs of 

 the sheep, touching them in its flight. Just as the 

 train was starting, a male tried to enter the car- 

 riage, and failing, flew round and over the train 

 for more than a quarter of a mile, and only 

 stopped when beaten by the superior speed of the 

 engine. 



Friday, August &h. — Same females taken to 

 Harst. Wind and the tail of a waterspout. Nine 

 males came up. 



August 7th. — Same females taken to Tilgate 

 Eorest, where a friend had never succeeded in at- 

 tracting the males ; yet eight were attracted ; the 

 first before we had left the station, or taken the 

 box from the basket. In no one instance did we 

 notice a moth coming with, but all against the 

 wind, and most from long distances ; ergo, how 

 acute the sense of smell, the organ of which natu- 

 ralists have not yet been able to find. I ought to 

 mention that the last two females had laid eggs 

 before they were taken out, and although the males 

 were so wild and frantic in their behaviour, the 

 females appeared not only utterly unconscious of 

 their proximity, but even, when a male settled or 

 crawled over the muslin top of the box, they, in 

 every case, 'remained perfectly still. 



I have been much amused by the comments of 

 the rustics, who have wondered at our proceedings, 

 and evidently believed we were acting magic. 



Brighton, August. T. W. Wonfor. 



