NOTES ON BRKEDING ODONTOPERA BIDENTATA. 109 



minus one tail. You may like to know the spot was about half a mile 

 west of Stampa, beyond the hamlet of Cultura ; one found by the 

 rough bridge, and the two just beyond, in clearings of alder scrub. 

 That was a good place too for ' Coppers.' Stampa seems well placed. 

 Promontogno is too hot and shut in, but I should like to hunt earlier 

 in the lovely little Val Bondasca above it. I have come here to look 

 for var. proisa, but it has turned out too wet. I shall probably stay a 

 few days." 



Notes on breeding Odontopera bidentata. 



By W. BOWATEK, Lieut. It.A.M.C.T., F.E.S. 

 In 1909 I commenced breeding Odontajiera bidentata, a^nd have con- 

 tinued till the present time. My main object was to discover the 

 method of the heredity of the melanic form of this species. It was 

 found to be Medelian; the melanic form being a simple dominant, and 

 the type form the recessive. Full details have been recorded. • Since 

 then the experiment has produced still more evidence to confirm this. 



I have bred from ova ... ... 2300 specimens. 



Ditto from larvte ... ... ... 350 ,, 



Imngines captured or exchanged ... 700 ,, 



Total in cabinet ... ... 3850 



I have now about 650 pupa;. 



During the experiment over 200 pairings have been made, and 71 

 families have reached maturity. This does not represent the mortality 

 due to disease. Many families were given away, or exchanged, or 

 destroyed. 



Copious notes on every detail of the life-history have been made, 

 and may on analysis be found useful for publication at a future date. 

 This specially refers to microscopical details. Throughout the experi- 

 ment scrupulous care has been taken to keep each family separate, for 

 in the study of heredity this is absolutely essential, a xinc qua non. 

 Departure from this rule has led at times to some confusion, and 

 apparently conflicting evidence. I would earnestly appeal to all 

 breeders of Lepidoptera to keep families separate, and so labelled that 

 material would be formed from which valuable evidence might be 

 obtained bearing on some of the vexed questions of heredity, especially 

 as to the heredity of mnall characteristics, anatomical, physiological, 

 and even psychological. The following details are observations made 

 on the specimens used in the experiment and on them only. 



1. I'aiiini/. — This usually occurs soon after emergence, and in 

 several cases even before the wings were quite dry. In some cases, 

 however, 2-1 hours elapsed before copulation. In three cases fruitful 

 pairing occurred between $ s emerged 4-7 days and fresh J s. Copu- 

 lation almost invariably occurs between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. The J 

 in almost every case holding on to the lid of the box or cage, and the 

 3 hanging pendulous without foothold. Separation occurs in the 

 early hours of the morning. In one case only copulation began at 



* 1. Trans. Brit. Assoc, 1913. 



2. Journal of Genetics, vol. lii., no. 4, April 1914, pp. 299-315. 



