262 THE entomologist's record. 



Preserving and Mounting Larvae. — I have principally devoted 

 my attention during thii; season, to preserving and mounting the larvae 

 of British Lepidoptera ; and give a few hints which may be of service 

 to some collectors. The apparatus, I think, is pretty well known. I 

 always kill my larvae with the cyanide bottle, but care must be taken, 

 not to leave green larvae too long in it, as they discolour very quickly. 

 Some green larvae may be preserved very readily, for instance Papilio 

 machaon ; others, as Gonepteryx rhamni, I have failed with, and 

 should be very thankful for advice as to preserving these. Hairy larvae 

 are, as a rule, awkward subjects. Spilosoma lubricipeda, for instance, I 

 leave in the bottle at least twenty-four hours, and then roll very care- 

 fully ; the result is excellent. Orgyia antiqua is the most difificult I 

 have met with ; not only because of the hairs, but on account of the 

 colour, it wants great care in rolling. Arctia caia, Bombyx ruin, 

 Aci'o?iycia {Cuspidia) aceris, etc. are fairly easy. Cossus ligniperda, 

 Diloba ccBruleocephala, PcricaUia syringaria, etc., are very easy. I tried 

 many experiments with the pupae of Rhopalocera, and found that the 

 best plan, was to let the insect get fairly well formed inside, then slice 

 one side or the back of pupa, an<i pull out the partially formed imago. 

 This plan ans\vers with such as Vanessa urticx, V. io, etc., preserving the 

 metallic spots beautifully. The food-plants (for mounting) I ])lace in 

 silversand for about a fortniglit, but do not heat the sand, as it takes 

 nearly all the colour out. I also mount the life histories on cards of 

 one regular size ; a great point, as it gives regularity and symmetry to the 

 collection. A great fault with many who preserve larvae, is to distend 

 the larvae unnaturally. In my opinion a nicely preserved, and 

 mounted life history adds greatly to the interest of a collection. — 

 A. Quail, 15, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington. November, 1890. 



DiANTHCECiA CAPSOPHiLA. — The following may prove of some interest 

 to your readers. On 6th June, 1889, I obtained a number of D, 

 capsopJiila larvae feeding on Silene maritima. I brought them home, 

 and by the beginning of July they were full fed, and entered into the 

 chrysalis state about the 6th of that month. On August ist, looking 

 into my larvae cages, I was surprised to find that five had emerged. 

 The larvae of this species, which I have taken in previous years, have 

 always remained in the pupal state throughout the winter. In the 

 Young Naturalist, for September, 1890, p. 171, I see that Mr. John 

 Henderson of Streatham had a similar experience with D. carpophaga. — 

 H. Shortridge Clarke, 2, Osborne Terrace, Douglas, Isle of Man. 

 October 24///, 1890. 



Time of appearance of Peronea hastiana. — I always had an 

 idea that P. hastiana appeared in August and many a bag have I filled 

 with heads of dwarf sallow in July in hope of breeding this species, and 

 much to my disgust have never succeeded in getting any but odd 

 specimens. This year I collected, in August, a number of osier tops 

 for larvae of Halias c/ilora?ia and was surprised to find a good many 

 tenanted, with apparently newly hatched Tortrix larvje, which produced 

 in September and October a fine varied series of P. hastiana. Tops of 

 dwarf sallow sent me by Mr. Baxter from St. Anne's on-Sea, during 

 Septemoer contained quite small larvae of this species, and the imagines 

 from these have been appearing continuously ever since, some emerging 



