APPENDIX. 181 



been laid naturally, by searching the food-plants care- 

 fully ; they are not so difficult to detect as might be sup- 

 posed ; many of these will be found attacked by minute 

 parasites, which generally make their exit through a single 

 minute hole, leaving the Qgg in an admirable condition 

 for the cabinet. The eggs can then be gummed, with or 

 without the leaf on which they are laid, upon triangular 

 bits of card-board, pinned and transferred to the cabinet. 

 Inspissated ox-gall, diluted with an equal quantity of 

 tliick gum arable, makes the best material for attachment 

 to the card. 



In rearing from the Qgg the greatest difficulty is during 

 early life ; young cater2:)illars must have the freshest and 

 tenderest food and not too much confinement. With all 

 precautions many will be lost, for they are so small that 

 it is difficult to keep track of them, and some are very 

 prone to wander when their food does not suit them. 

 Some open vessel Avitli the growing plant is the best re- 

 ce2)tacle ; in place of this a similar vessel (the larger the 

 better) holding moist sand in which a sprig of the food- 

 plant is plunged may be used — covered if convenient 

 with gauze to prevent the escape of the caterpillar. The 

 vessel should be placed in the light, but not in the sun, 

 and for many kinds it is well to lay chips or bits of bark 

 upon the ground, beneath which the caterpillars may hide. 

 At each moult the caterpillar remains motionless, refusing 

 to feed for twenty-four hours or more, and at such times 

 it should not be disturbed. It is best never to touch 

 them, and, when necessary to change the food, the old leaf 

 with the caterpillar upon it should be put aside or upon 

 the fresh food, and only removed when deserted by the 

 caterpillar. When older the creature Avill bear rougher 

 treatment and may often be confined in a nearly tight 

 tin or earthen vessel with freshly-plucked leaves; but all 

 caterpillars will not bear this treatment, and care should 



