LIFE -HISTORIES. 837 



appears to be raised, and, for some distance around it, there appears to 

 be an exceedingly shallow depression where the sculpturing is typical. 

 The examination of two loose eggs showed a depressed base very like 

 that already described in the unattached eggs of Lithoxia lutarella and 

 Calliiiwrp/ia dominula. Examined under a lens, the green colour of 

 the egg appears to be confined largely to the central area of the 

 contents, the rest of the shell being largely transparent, and, looked at 

 against the light, the sculpturing appears to be quite spiny and 

 echinoderm-like. [Eggs laid August 22nd, 1903, and following day 

 by a ? taken at light at Chamonix on the evening of August 19th.] 



Callimorpha dominula. — The Qgg is rather more than a hemisphere 

 in shape ; of a pale green colour ; the surface shining, and apparently 

 almost smooth. (There are suggestions of an exceedingly fine pitting 

 that might be seen under a higher power.) There are a number of 

 comparatively pale areas within the egg, possibly due to embryonic 

 development, otherwise there are no traces of markings, sculpturing, 

 &c. The base flattened and depressed, shining, and apparently of 

 similar structure to the rest of the egg. The egg retains its green 

 colour until the time of hatching. [The eggs described were 

 laid loosely in a box on July 29th, 1903, by a ? captured at Useigne 

 the preceding day ; and were it not for our knowledge of the similar 

 structure of the egg of L. lutarella, we should be inclined to think that 

 the flattened (depressed) base might indicate that the egg was normally 

 attached. The similar structure of the bases of these eggs, smooth, 

 shiny, and depressed, leads us to assume that this egg is really laid 

 loosely.] 



Nemeophila plantaciinh. — The eggs are laid side by side, touching 

 each other, in batches of varying size, from 20 to 50 (or more) in 

 number. Each egg forms rather more than a hemisphere, is of a pale 

 pearly-yellow colour, the surface smooth, shiny, and apparently quite 

 polished ; the liase is flat, and the curvature at the apex appears to be 

 quite regular, without any apical depression. At the summit of the 

 egg, an almost transparent area occupies the greater part of the apex. 

 The eggs in about two days become bright green in colour, then, as 

 the embryo matures, they become grey, gradually deepening in tint 

 until they are of a dark slaty-grey, which is maintained until hatching 

 takes place. The oval stage lasts fourteen days, [The eggs, laid 

 August 9th, 1903, by a ? caught at Arolla, were described on 

 August 10th. 1 



L;/ma7itn'a nionacha. — The eggs are of a pale brownish or faint 

 chocolate colour; about three-fourths of a hemisphere when laid, but 

 flattening at the top, until they assume the form of a tangerine 

 orange ; the surface is almost smooth but tends to be dull, thedulness 

 apparently due to what seems to be a number of exceedingly minute 

 microscopic pits. [The eggs were described on August 10th, 1903, 

 and had been laid on August 1st by an unfertilised J that had 

 emerged from a pupa found under some dead pine-needles, on a rock at 

 Useigne four days previously.] 



Xylophasia latoitia. — What must, I think, be considered as one of 

 the most highly-specialised Noctuid eggs, with regard to size, is that of 

 this large nu-ea-YxVo. Noctuid, which appears to be widely distributed 

 throughout the lower Alps. The egg is, for the size of the moth, of 

 remarkably small size, of a pearly- white colour (with the slightest 



