344 ON THE GENUS ORGYIA. 



In describing the larva? of the latter Stephens says: — " Caterpillar black, spotted 

 with red, with four pair of yellowish or luteous dorsal tufts, two composed of 

 capitate hairs on the neck, one on each side of the body, and one on the tail." 



Of eighteen larvas of this species which I have examined this season, not one 

 possessed the tufts of capitate hairs on the sides of the body, nor were they 

 spotted with red, but striped longitudinally with yellow or orange. Indeed so 

 well does his description agree with the larvae of 0. antiqua (one of which is 

 now before me), that I am convinced he has mistaken the one for the other. 

 Rennie, in his conspectus, says of this insect : — " Caterpillar gregarious, with 

 eight white tufts on the back ; with two black ones on the neck, and one on the 

 tail." He is correct in the number of capitate tufts ; those on the back are not, 

 however, as he asserts, white, but of a tawny or light chesnut colour, and only 

 four in number. Nor is the caterpillar gregarious ; for although, like those of 

 0. antiqua, the eggs are laid by the female on the cocoon, yet the young larvae 

 disperse soon after being hatched. 



I have found them at almost every stage of their growth, but never more than 

 one at a time ; even when the eggs are deposited on a solitary thom-bush the 

 caterpillars wander to the full extent of the branches, and are never found 

 feeding in company like those of Vanessa Io, V. urticce, Eriogaster lanestris, 

 Pygcera bucephala, &c. Rennie, in describing Orgyia antiqua, says : — " Cater- 

 pillar dusky, spotted with red, with four white tufts on the back." No mention 

 is made of the two tufts of capitate hairs on the neck, the one on the tail, and 

 two on the sides, all of which are found in O. antiqua. 



Among such a medley of imperfect and incorrect descriptions, is it surprising 

 that the young student should become bewildered ? I confess that Stephens is 

 generally to be relied on ; but how he could possibly stray as he has done in 

 this instance I am at a loss to conceive ; for it appears, from his own statement, 

 that he has been in possession of the larva of O. gonostigma, and by means of 

 the female it produced he procured males from Combe-Wood. 



In company with a friend I took, this season, eighteen larvse, and am now 

 in possession of several perfect specimens of the imago, both male and female, 

 of this rare insect ; others I expect from the pupa daily. I have also been 

 fortunate enough to secure above six hundred eggs from one female ; these were 

 laid on the cocoon, and covered with the down from her own body. 



The female commences laying her eggs immediately on the male leaving her; 

 but should no male visit her she will retain her eggs ten days or a fortnight. I 

 have also observed, that of those which arrive at the perfect state, two-thirds 

 are females ; and as these are without wings, this is no doubt a provision of 

 Nature to enable the males the more easily to find mates, and prevent the 

 species from becoming extinct. ' 



Doncaster, July 17, 1837. 



