LIFE-HISTORIES. 291 



later. Loxotropa tritoiua, Thorns., is recorded iii the nest of Tetra- 

 inoriaiii caespitinn, " Vic. Hist. Devon," 1906, p. 187. 



GoxoTOPUs DiSTiNCTus, Kief. — I swept a specimen in company with 

 Mijrmica laevinodis, in the New Forest, on June 18th. 



[To he concluded.) 



:jE10tes on life-histories, LARY^, &c. 



Notes on the larval habits of Dryas paphia var. valesina. — In 

 July, 1908, 1 obtained ova from a New Forest $ ( $ unknown) deposited 

 on moss; the $ s never deposit on their food-plant. These hatched in 

 fourteen days, and, after eating their egg-shells, went at once into 

 hybernation on moss, no food being supplied to them. On March 

 21st, 1909, I sprayed the moss with lukewarm water and placed same 

 in the sunshine ; within a couple of hours the larv* started to move, 

 and within three days some 80 made their appearance. These were 

 removed to young leaves of Viola canina : after retiring to the under- 

 side of the leaves, and remaining dormant for six days, they started 

 feeding vigorously, early morning and late afternoon being their 

 favourite hours ; they are also fond of the early morning sunshine. 

 The dates for the moults were April 10th, 19th, 28th, and May 8th, 

 pupating from May 23rd, onwards. The 77 imagines produced 

 were: — 41 typical males, 23 typical females, 13 var. valezina. — ^E. C. 

 Joy, 2, St. Kilda's Road, Stoke Newington, N. October 18th, 1909. 



Note on the larval habits of Bkenthis euphrosyne. — Ova obtained 

 from a Lincoln 2 , captured in June, 1908 ; these hatched in twelve 

 days, and were placed on growing plants of Viola canina ; after 

 moulting twice, they settled down for hybernation, in early August. 

 On March 21st, 1909, only 15 out of 80 larvae had survived the 

 winter, these appeared w'eak and sickly, and here the great difficulty 

 with the larvfe arose ; they refused their food ; they would only 

 wander round, basking in the sunshine ; apparently they lacked 

 strength to accomplish their moult. On April 3rd only four safely 

 survived the moult, and these started feeding ravenously, their move- 

 ments being exceedingly rapid. Except whilst feeding, they never 

 rest on their food, retiring amongst the moss, but always in the sun- 

 shine. These moulted again on April 11th ; the first, pupating on 

 April 19th, produced an imago on May 21st. — Id. 



Description of eggs of Lepidoptera. — Metrocainpa war/jaritaria. 

 ■ — Eggs laid by a ? captured near Meran at the entrance of the 

 Passier-Thal, August 10th, 1909. The eggs are laid in regular rows 

 in clusters of 50-150. They are of typical Geometrid shape, but 

 turned up on end, so that the rounded micropylar end is at the top of 

 the egg. The eggs are pale green in colour when first laid, quite 

 uniform and homogeneous, but turn to a pinky colour, speckled all over 

 irregularly with various-sized blood-red dots. The micropylar area is 

 freest from these dots, except that one or two quite large dots are 

 usually conspicuous in the position of the micropyle. The eggshell 

 appears to be quite smooth under a hand lens. The pecuharity of 

 these eggs is in their being laid as upright eggs (Described August 

 17th, 1909, under a hand lens). 



Thalera fiiiibrialis.— ^ captured August 7th, 1909, in the 

 Sarnthal ; 6 eggs laid in a box, 2 close together almost 



