86 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



keep the bag upright and well expanded, put three sticks in the earth at 

 an angle. Argynnis readily lays so ; also all species of Satyridae which I 

 have tried ; so Pamphila. The eggs will be laid on the plants, or on the 

 bag, and more or less on the ground. A good method also is to confine 

 the butterflies in a large box, which is covered with a cloth. In the box 

 either plants in pots may be set, or the plants may be rooted in earth. I 

 prefer the former way, however, as when eggs are dropped on the earth in 

 such circumstances, it is almost impossible to find them. Arg. Diana 

 and Cybele lay freely in this sort of confinement, and I have generally 

 used the box with them. They lay a good deal on the sides of the box, 

 as well as on the cloth, but many eggs will be found on the leaves and 

 stems of the violet. Mr. Mead varied this mode with Limenitis Arihemis, 

 with excellent results, as he relates, Can. Ent., vii., 162 : "A notch is 

 cut in the side of any empty wooden box, through which a branch of wil- 

 low or other appropriate food-plant is passed, care being taken to select a 

 leafy spray, so as to partially fill the box with foliage ; it is then covered 

 with gauze, tacked fast on one side, and part way down on the adjoining 

 sides, that on the fourth side being held down by a piece of wood fastened 

 to the remaining flap of gauze. This renders easy the examination of the 

 contents at any time. Now a saucer of raw dried apples, sugared, and 

 partly filled with water, is put in, and the cage is complete. Butterflies 

 like L. Arthemis will live in such a vivarium for two weeks and more after 

 their capture, and appear to enjoy the food provided immensely, laying 

 many more eggs than if enclosed in a bag and allowed to perish of hunger 

 and thirst." Mr. Mead says that in such a box 15 females laid over 500 

 eggs. I saw this lot at the time, and eggs were all over the willow leaves 

 and the cloth. The limbs of willow were turned down as they grew, and 

 into the box, this being placed on the ground by the brook. So where 

 butterflies are confined in boxes with plants in pots, sugared fruit of any 

 sort may be given. Or when a bag is tied over a pot, a small tin box with 

 similar food may be set on the earth within the bag, and the butterflies 

 very soon discover it. 



So a glass jar may be used for small species, and I have often obtained 

 eggs of Pamphila by this means, setting a stem of grass with its root in 

 the jar. Mr. H. W. Nash obtains the eggs of Colias Hagenii in this 

 manner ; also L. Melissa, without trouble. All that would seem to be 

 necessary is that the plant should be apparently a growing one, to induce 

 the butterfly to entrust her eggs to it. 



