158 THE entomologist's record. 



where a specimen could not free itself from the case quickly, and at 

 once discharge this excrement, that the specimen was invariably crippled 

 through the apparent lack of power to expand the wings. I witnessed 

 one night six emergences and found that the imagines never attempted 

 flight the same night but remained at rest when dry until dusk the 

 next day, when, if not previously killed, they quickly spoil themselves 

 by their bird-like flight. The sound so much spoken of from this 

 insect is most frequently uttered immediately after emergence or when 

 disturbed, and I think the reference Barrett makes to the sound 

 issuing from the pupa must have occurred quite close to emergence, 

 when the imago was formed, as I have never heard it from the large 

 quantity of fresh pupae I have bandied. The small proportion of 

 males is very striking only ten having been reared as against 52 

 females, and of variation there is practically none in the wing mark- 

 ings, while the colour of the skull varies in a slight degree between 

 light and dark. — Fredk. Glenny, F.E.S., The Orchard, Walsoken, 

 Wisbech. February 20th, 1901. 



Lasiocampa QUERctrs LARVA HYBERNATiNG. — On Novcmber 29th, 

 1900, at Littlehampton, I took a larva of Lasiocampa qiiercus, nearly 1^" 

 long, under a coping, evidently hybernating. Is this not rather large ? 

 Those I have usually taken in spring are about f " long, and with fawn- 

 coloured coats, whereas this one had a dark coat, which I believe 

 occurs at a later stage in its growth. Is it likely to be L. var. callunae/ 

 Its hybernating place struck me as being strange, whilst the only 

 possible food-plants for some distance were the ordinary garden 

 euonymus (laurel) and chrysanthemum, it being in the centre of the 



town. C. W. COLTHRUP. 



Finding cocoons of Hybocampa milhauseri and Cerura bicuspis. — 

 Hybocampa milhauseri, the larva of which feeds on oak, forms its cocoon 

 in a depression of the trunk in very much the same manner as do 

 the smaller Cerura species. The larva itself feeds at the top of the 

 tree and is seldom taken in this stage ; for pupation, however, it 

 descends the trunk and spins up from about six feet from the ground 

 down to the very foot of the tree, where the trunk enters the ground. 

 This species was formerly supposed only to occur in the Thiergarten at 

 Berlin, but since entomologists have become better acquainted with its 

 habits, it has been found all over the district, and, in fact, as far as I could 

 ascertain, it is found anywhere where there are sufliciently large oaks. 

 It always selects the largest and tallest trees, and, as the cocoon is so 

 well hidden, it is extremely hard to find until one has had practice. 

 After having been shown how to work for it I spent a great deal of 

 time during the past winter doing so, but only found two, although I 

 frequently found old cocoons, from which the imagines had emerged 

 last summer. I see no reason why this species should not occur in 

 England and think it is highly probable that it has boen overlooked. 

 It is seldom taken in any other stage than the pupal, in fact, never as 

 imago, almost all specimens in collections being bred from found pupae. 

 The larva is occasionally found, but only accidentally, on account of its 

 predilection for the tops of the highest oaks. Another interesting 

 species is Cerura bicuspis, which feeds on alder. The cocoons of this 

 species are spun up in the same manner on the trunks of alders, and, 

 if anything, are more difficult to discover than those of //. xrillianseri. 

 It has the reputation of being a rare species, but this again is probably 



