1901.] 125 



stagnation during Jamiarj, ab wliicli time so sparingly did lilu'y cat, and so slowly 

 did tlu'v grow, that I began to think they wore partially hibernating ; many of them 

 remained quite inactive for sis days before spinning. 



About February 23rd one moth emerged, a male, and its appearance was soon 

 followed by another male and several females, one of which a])proached the northern 

 race in the dusky tint of its wings. Up to the time of writing — March 22nd — 

 thirteen have expanded their wings, seven of which are females and the remainder 

 males. I was fortunate enough to mate a pair, and am now the honoured possessor 

 of one hundred and fifty eggs, a state of things somewhat curious for the mouth of 

 March ! 



Two very interesting illustrations of the effect of temperature on L. qnercits 

 occurred. Early in January I opened one of the cocoons for tlie i^urposc of exami- 

 ning the pupa, but found that the larva had not yet changed. I iiad divided the 

 brood into two boxes, one of which I kept in a cold, and the other in a warm, room. 

 Covering up the larva with cotton wool, I placed it in the cold room, and, not 

 expecting any moths to emerge for some time, left it there. At the end of six 

 weeks, on opening the box and expecting to see the pupa, I was considerably sur- 

 prised to find tlie larva in precisely the same condition — grub-like, alive, and healthy. 

 I therefore removed it to the warm room, and in three days it liad changed into a 

 pupa. 



The other instance was in the case of the first male that emerged. The tem- 

 perature of the room in which it was placed varied from sixty to seventy degrees 

 Fahrenheit in the day time, and from forty to fifty iia the night. Early every 

 evening for five days the imago made faint attempts at breaking through its pupa 

 case. Throughout the morning, when the room was coid, it never moved at all ; 

 when the frost gave way it emerged. It appeared to lack energy enough to creep 

 out until the temperature assumed a distinctly high and constant figure, at which 

 time the second male appeared. 



The complete success of this entomological experiinent of course owed its origin 

 largely to the sumptuous manner in whicli the larvse were reared from the beginning 

 to the end. I kept their cage well ventilated, and their food spotlessly clean, taking 

 pains at the same time to give them plenty of light. The oak during September, 

 and the sallow, willow, and bramble for the most part were all as fresh as the smallest 

 and greenest spring leaves. Only during December and January were they forced 

 to devour somewhat tough and stringy foliage. They were also supplied with a 

 constant " drinking trough " in the shape of wadding sopped with water. It was a 

 curious spectacle to watch these creatures pause in their perambulations, fasten their 

 jaws in the soaking wool and draw in the liquid after the manner of cows. I have 

 never reared this species before, and consequently am not sure of the date at which 

 it usually hibernates. But as far as I can recollect, my larvse showed no sign what- 

 ever of any stagnation during the autumn. Only their general growth was slow. 

 They expanded most rapidly during the latter half of October and the first half of 

 November. 



The hairs of the larva had an exceedingly irritating effect upon my skin. I 

 could not touch them without converting parts of my fingers into clusters of milky 

 white blains ; oddly enough, they had no effect upon me whatever until the larva? 

 had arrived at the last stage but one, and then to simply touch the gi'ey hairs 



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