LIFE-HISTOEIES. 155 



touch one another (as in one batch of six), but are sometimes laid singly. 

 Five eggs were laid on one tiny white poplar leaf. — CI. H. Rayxor, 

 M.A., F.E.S., Hazeleigh Rectory, Maldon, Essex. 



Notes ON THE EMERGENCE oeAcherontiaatropos in 1900. — On October 

 15th I placed iouvteen Aclicrontia atrojiox pupa; in two ware pans half filled 

 with moss padded down firmly, previously dipped in boiling water, and 

 covered the pupa? with lightly strewn moss, also wet, and three sticks over, 

 and put them in the fender, with bell glass over, covering at night with an 

 old blanket. On November 1st one fine insect emerged at lO.HOp.m., a 5 

 over five inches. On November 3rd a medium-sized J , which was two 

 hours expanding its wings. On November 7th, one emerged in thenight, 

 and a cripple was found in t^e moss, with a dent in the head where 

 the skull should have been. November 11th another during the 

 night. On November 12th a fine <? at 10.30 p.m., we watched it leave 

 its pupa-case and rapidly crawl up the sticks and feel about to get higher 

 (as did the first). We put it in a bell glass with leno stretched over ; 

 it immediately clung to the leno, and began to expand its wings at 

 10.35 p.m. They seemed fully grown at 11.5 p.m., but it did not put 

 its wings down till 11.35 p.m. On November 13th a very fine $ came out 

 at 5.55 p.m., at 6 p.m. it was settled on the leno over another bell 

 glass placed in the fender (open side up) so that the temperature should 

 be more like the one it came out in, as we thought the other which took two 

 hours was hindered by change of temperature. At 6.5 p.m. it put out its 

 proboscis, raised the palpi, and then put its lower two legs off the leno, 

 at rest, crossed. It was one hour before its wings were put down. 

 November 14th, another fine ? at 9.30 p.m. ; at 10.20 p.m. it suddenly 

 put its wings down, trembling violently for a few seconds first. 

 November 15th another at 11.25 p.m. On November 16th one emerged 

 at 7 a.m. and could not find a good resting-place, so it was rather crippled, 

 but otherwise a fair specimen. The rest all died, they were evidently 

 injured in being dug out of the soil or in the post. The moss was 

 changed and re-dipped in boiling water every other day. Each imago 

 we watched rested the two lower legs, after the first few minutes, till 

 it closed its wings, when it used the six. One was very sick when the 

 chloroform was given it, emitting a pinkish fluid. — (Mrs.) M. E. Cowl, 

 5, Spencer Park, S.W. 



Notes on Acherontia atropos. — So far as my personal experience 

 goes the following have been the years in which I have obtained this 

 species : 1887, ]3rent\vood (a good many larva' and pupte) ; 1893, 

 Rainham (a good many larvs and pup;^) ; 1891, Rainham (10 larvip) ; 

 1895, Rainham (6 larvae) ; 1896, Rainham (about 120 larva' and 

 pupae) ; 1899, Mucking (6 larva^ and pupa') ; 1900, Mucking (60-70 

 larvjp and pupae). Larv.e. — Earliest date of capture July 15th (1893), 

 latest date of capture October 12th (1901). This last was the smallest 

 I have seen. I thought it must belong to a second brood, and be the 

 offspring of the earlier emergence, but Mr. Racot, to whom I sent it, 

 reported that though so small it was already in its last skin. In August, 

 1894, I took at Rainham two of the dark form of larva, a description 

 of which appears {K)it. hn-ord, vol. v., p. 220, September, 1894, see 

 Stainton, Man., vol. i., p. 89). (N.B. — This form is quite distinct 

 from that assumed by the normal larva when ready for pupation, when 

 it becomes semi-transparent, golden -yellow, and looks as though it had 

 been soaked in oil). The larva makes, when irritated, a slight " click- 



