NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 263 



as late as to-day (December ist). These were kept under cover (in a 

 greenhouse) and were probabl) thus hastened some days. Considering 

 how exceptionally mild the autumn was up to November 24th, it would 

 be interesting to know what would be the ordinary tim3 of emergence 

 in a fairly cold autumn or whether the latest pujise would go over the 

 winter in that stage, and not emerge until the following spring? One 

 can hardly suppose that a large number would naturally be killed off. — 

 J. W. TuTT. December, i8yo. 



GONOPTERA LiBATRix. — I don't know if it is worth recording, 

 but I placed an example of the pretty Gonoptera libatrix, in a chip- 

 box minus food, on August 28th, and there it remained alive for a 

 whole month. — Charles Oldham, Chelmsford Road, Woodford. [All 

 moths that hybernate might be kept alive under precisely similar 

 conditions at this time of the year. — Ed.] 



Clostera anachoreta. — This species is easily reared, and is 

 extremely prolific. The following table gives the date of the first 

 respectively, of each metamorphosis, of a spring and summer brood : — 

 Emerged from pupa. May 15th, and July 31st. Ova hatched, May 

 24th, and August 20th. Pupated, July 17th, and September 30th — 

 J. Herbert Stott, Lostock. October isf, 1890. 



Treatment of pupm during Winter. — Under " Notes on Collect- 

 ing," i?^(r(?r^, p. 180, Miss Kimber has a nice readable notice — but one 

 phrase appears to have been written hurriedly, or it would not have 

 been worded as it is. I refer to that part which says : " Can any 

 lepidopterist give me a few hints as to the treatment of Eupithecia 

 pulchellata larvae during the winter?" No doubt, by now, the larvae of 

 pulchellaia, which are full-fed by about the middle of July, have assumed 

 the pupal state, either on the surface of the ground, or in the angles of 

 the breeding cage or box, in a kind of web — requiring no further treat- 

 ment — and will remain in that state until next May. I have been 

 rearing a few, they were full-fed, and went into pupge in August, and I 

 don't expect to see the moths until next spring. I have also fed a few 

 Amphidasys prodromaria larvae this year, and Miss Kimber's experience and 

 no doubt, treatment of these pupje is like mine, and I have put down my 

 failure hitherto to keeping them too dry. This year I am trying the 

 experiment of removing the pup» into another box, making a firm 

 bottom of earth, and placing the pupae between two layers of moss, 

 damping the top layer occasionally. I usually lose a large percentage 

 of my pupae, and I feel certain it is because they are too dry. On ihe 

 other hand, I have tried the opposite method, and kept the mould, 

 moss, leaves, etc., in the cages, constantly damp, when I found I lost 

 most of them by their becoming mouldy ; so now I am trying the 

 happy medium. — Jno. Harrison, 7 Gawber Road, Barnsley. 



First, get your pupae. Some collectors object to " travelled 

 pupae." But an insect travels more safely in the pupal than in the 

 larval state. Embedded in cotton wool, and with a liberal allowance 

 of room, few pupae suffer from a journey ; and a good provision of 

 pupae in variety is an excellent way of ensuring a good eason 

 next year. There is a remarkable difference of opinion as to the 

 manner of wintering pupae. Some insist that they should be kept 

 out of doors. But, as the insects themselves seem to seek shelter 



