THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 2tf/ 



NOTES ON A FEW AMERICAN BOMBYCES. 



From Alfred Wailly (Membre-Laureat de la Societe d'Acclimatation de Fiance), 

 no Clapham Road, London, S. W., England. 



In my Report on Silk-producing Bombyces and other Lepidoptera, 

 reprinted from the "Journal of the Society of Arts," Feb. 13th and 

 March 5th, 1880, I speak of the disastrous effects of the weather on most 

 species during the year 1879. 



This year (1880), although the splendid weather we had in August 

 and at the beginning of Sept. allowed of the successful rearing of several 

 species in the open air, the wet and cold weather lasting till about the end 

 of July affected and retarded Lepidoptera, as in 1879 ; the moths of 

 Samia promethea, for instance, had not all emerged before the end of 

 August. With a few exceptions, none of the Indian species emerged at 

 all, and ova of many well-paired female moths were partly infertile. 



Act/as lima I bred this year for the first time, and most successfully on 

 Walnut. I obtained 12 or 13 pairings in June. 



Samia Gloveri.- — -I received a considerable number of cocoons of this 

 species from a young and active Entomologist, but, I regret to say, this 

 was the most complete failure that can be recorded. The moths emerged 

 from the middle of April till the middle of July. With a few exceptions, 

 I had only crippled moths ; the greater part of the cocoons did not pro- 

 duce any moths. Not. a single pairing could be obtained. -I shall be 

 glad to try this species again. 



Samia ceanothi. — With about 40 cocoons I obtained the first moth in 

 March, the second on April 3rd, and the rest continued to emerge till the 

 1 8th of July. Only two .pairings were obtained. Not having Ceanothis 

 to feed the larva?, I reared them on Plum and Willow, but they did not 

 thrive, and they all died, some going into third stage. Evidently Plum 

 or Willow are not proper food plants for ceanothi larvae. The first pairing 

 took place on the 27th of June, the second on the 10th of July. The 

 ova of the first brood hatched 18 days, and those of the second 15 days 

 after being deposited. The larvae, of a lighter color, but somewhat similar 

 to those of cccropia in first and second stages, showed a difference from 

 that species in the third stage, being thus : Back of body sky blue ; sides 

 greenish yellow ; tubercles golden yellow all along the back ; tubercles on 

 the sides blue ; head green. 



