156 THE entomologist's record. 



ing " noise, such as one can make with one's finger nails. Pupation. — 

 I do not think the larva generally goes down to a great depth, probably 

 about six inches. It is readily turned up by the potato plough, and 

 appears about midway in the furrow. In captivity it pupates without 

 hesitation upon the surface of the earth. I have never been able to 

 secure a perfect specimen of the cell formed by the larva for pupation. 

 There appears to be no sign of silk or gum used in its preparation. 

 The cavity is formed horizontally, and appears to provide plenty of 

 room for the pupa to bend and turn, though there is little to spare in 

 the length. The inner surface of this cocoon bears marks of the feet 

 and of the face of the larva, notably of one or both of the jaws. Pup^. 

 —Earliest date September 2nd, 1H94, Kainham ; latest October 20th, 

 1900, jNIucking (really coincident with the potato digging). I once 

 dug a pupa in the spring — dead. The pupie when in health are 

 remarkably active. On receiving their morning and evening bath they 

 wriggle, and appear to make a bubbling sound as though they were 

 drinking. Home 24 hours before emei-gence the shell having become 

 detached from the imago, the latter squeaks loudly. FoRciN(i (see 

 Transactiom of City of London Kntoinolotiical SociHi/, 1897, pp. 2-3). — 

 Damp is essential. — The higher the temperature the more moisture is 

 required. The following is my experience. Forcing in October, 

 November and December : 60°F, produce the imago in four weeks ; 

 70°-80°F. produce the imago in two weeks ; 90'^-100°F. produce the 

 imago in 1 week. Carebssness in damping results in loss of the whole 

 stock. Imagines (wild). — I have only once taken the imago wild— on 

 September 23rd, 1893 — found sitting in daytime upon some straw, I 

 have come across notes of a few such captures in early autumn", but 

 never in the spring. Mr. Anderson {Kntotn. Record, vol. vii., p. 86) 

 states that he kept the pupte through the winter, and the imagines 

 emerged in June or July of the following year. I have never succeeded, 

 and suppose that all depends upon how and where they be kept. 

 Personally I do not believe that the insect can survive even the mildest 

 Enghsh winter out-of-doors. Imagines (in confinement). — Earhest 

 date September 15th, 1893 (bred) ; latest date January 6th, 1901 

 (bred). In 1900 the forcing was conducted at not more than 70°F. 

 The first imago was bred October 12th, and it was followed by others 

 regularly until November 20th, when about twelve remained, and as 

 these began to die off the heat was raised to about 80°F. and four more 

 appeared, the last as above on January 6th, probably the first A. atmpos 

 born in the new century. The time of emergence has proved somewhat 

 irregular. Mr. Anderson in his note quoted above says between 7 p.m.- 

 9 p.m., after watering. Of 30 specimens bred in 1900-1, the 

 emergences were as follows : — 15 appeared after midnight, /.c, between 

 that and 6.0 a.m.; 1 appeared between 6.0 a.m. -7.0 a.m.; 1 appeared 

 at 8.0 a.m.; 1 appeared at noon ; 1 appeared at 3.0 p.m.; 1 appeared 

 at 4.30 p.m.; 2 appeared at 5.30 p.m.; 4 appeared at 9.30 p.m.; 2 



appeared at 10.40 p.m.; 2 not noted— total 80. (Rev.) C. R. N. 



Burrows, Mucking Vicarage, Essex. 



Acherontia atropos in the Wisbech district in 1900. — The 



* See 8. Walker, Ent. liec, viii., p. 244 ; Hall, Entom.. xxix., p. 316 (on wing); 

 A. S. Helps, hM\ cit., p. 316 (on furze) ; Frohawk, Entom., xxviii., p. 280 (washed 

 ashore), p. 310 (at lighthouse) ; Chope, lor. cit., p. 309 (at light) ; Woolston, lac. 

 cit., p. 310 (at light), &c. 



