LIFE-HISTOEIES. 137 



miles, there is, up the side of the mountain, at about 1000ft. from the 

 bottom, a small birch-wood, and it was immediately under this birch- wood 

 I found my mysterious Anthrocfra. The basal and central pair of spots of 

 the specimen were very distinct, small, round, with paler circumferences, 

 typical of A. e.ndans : there was, however, the question of the outer spot, 

 or spots, for the tips of the wings were so transparent and devoid of 

 scales that I could not be certain whether my burnet was a five spot or a 

 six spot species. Thorax and abdomen were shaggy and hairy, exactly 

 after the style of A. e.ridans ; unfortunately, during my journeying 

 about, the moth got lost, and there was thus no opportunity of 

 comparing it with Braemar A. en-idans. I have not much doubt, 

 however, but that it was that species unless indeed it was a " six spot," 

 in which case it was something new to Britain, for it certainly was 

 not a form of L. filipendiilac. I may add that the growth over which it 

 was flying included, heaths (two or three species), Myrica tjale, and 

 grasses, amongst which Coenonympha daims was common. The 

 steamer stays at the landing stage about five hours, there would thus 

 be no difficulty, on a suitable day, in thoroughly exhausting the 

 locality ; and if any collector does so I should be very interested to 

 know the result, if he will kindly communicate with me. — Ibid, 



Hybernia eupicapraria embedded in ice. — On February 17th I 

 found Hybernia rupicapraria on a pond covered with ice nearly an 

 inch thick. I broke the ice and put the piece containing the moth in 

 a box ; it must have been there about two days, and there was quite a 

 quarter of an inch of ice over it. I dissolved the latter when I got 

 home ; the moth was quite perfect, and I was surprised when I looked 

 at it two hours later to find it alive. — T. L. Howe. Beaufort House, 

 Penarth. February IStli, 1901. 



:i^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARVAE, &c. 



Eggs of Lepidoptera. — I'sadus trcintlaria. — Bright yellow, shiny 

 surface, the vertical diameter almost equal to the width ; (height : width : 

 length : about 8:4:6), oval in outline, rather full and plump, [i.e., not 

 particularly flattened) , laid with the long axis horizontal; the upper surface 

 very slightly depressed ; the surface covered with a very distinct polygonal 

 (hexagonal) reticulation, fourteen or fifteen cells to length of egg, the 

 edges of the reticulation very rounded and smooth (Described under 

 a hand lens, August 12th, 1899, from eggs laid previous day by ? 

 obtained by Dr. Chapman on slopes above Villa, near Evolena). — J. W. 



TUTT. 



Pupation of Sphinx ligustri larv^. — It has often been a puzzle 

 to me, as I daresay it has been to other entomologists also, how it is 

 that when one comes across a privet, sallow, or other bush, almost 

 entirely denuded of leaves as the result of recent feeding by larva3, it 

 is seldom possible to find the pupse in the earth beneath the bush. 

 The soil is apparently suitable for the pupation of the larvfe, and there 

 otherwise appears no adequate reason for adjoining ground being 

 preferred. The following observation tends to show that in many 

 instances the larvae will travel a very considerable distance before decid- 

 ing finally where to go down. Last autumn I had a couple of Sphinx 

 liynstri larva? feeding under gauze on a small privet bush in the garden. 

 One Sunday afternoon I noticed that one of the larvae had changed 

 colour preparatory to pupation. I undid the gauze covering, and 



