•52 THE entomologist's record. 



is noteworthy that the Bionomics of the other orders are on the whole 

 more neglected than that of the Lepidoptera. This applies, moreover, 

 to life-histories. 



The anatomy of the insects is an unexplored continent. One 

 might imagine, from studying the books that the "Black Beetle" was 

 unique among insects, in the possession of any inside ! In a few years 

 we hope, and we expect, that the internal anatomy will be used in 

 determining an insect's taxonomic position. Some work is now being 

 done on Minojitcri/.r : but until we know in what respects a moth 

 differs from a caddis-Hy, this isolated piece of research is more or less 

 valueless. The study of anatomy, however, demands a considerable 

 outlay of cash. It is also extremely laborious at present, partly 

 because so little is known of insect histology. 



To most of us Physiology is perhaps a more attractive science than 

 bare Anatomy. It must be remembered, however, that advance in the 

 first cannot precede, and must surely accompany, advance in the 

 second. It would be interesting to know how it is that the tobacco 

 weevil devours cigars and yet survives ; and how the Emperor Moth 

 finds his mate. In insects the subsidiary genital glands reach an 

 extraordinary complexity ; nothing whatever is known of their 

 function. 



It will of course be urged that these lines of research are too 

 difficult for most of us ; that this work must be left to the trained 

 biologist and the millionaire. Yet work of simpler sort remains to be 

 done. Many a skilful breeder contents himself with procuring endless 

 series for his cabinet. Such a man should launch out along new lines. 

 He might investigate the effects of heat, light and humidity, on his 

 larva; and pup* ; or he might study the effects of varied nutrition, or 

 of inbreeding. It may be that, as among the Protozoa, small doses of 

 brandy or strychnine, will renovate a stock, worn out by inbreeding 

 for some generations. Heredity is now receiving the attention that is 

 its due ; British Lepidopterists must not be behind other Zoologists 

 in this respect. 



In a short article of this nature we can only indicate a few of these 

 unexplored fields. Now is the time to advance, to build on the sound 

 foundations of the past. We must keep step with the main army of 

 zoologists, and by organization, and broad outlook, strive to avoid 

 these endless repetitions. — Communicated. 



The Pairing Hadits of Hepialus pyrenaicus. — Last July I spent 

 somewhat over a fortnight at the Chalet Hotel on Mount Canigou 

 (Eastern Pyrenees), and among other interesting captures that I hope 

 to record later on, I found that IJepialus injreuaicits was not uncommon, 

 and I was fortunate enough to be able lo observe its pairing habits. 

 I had just netted a male when I noticed another drop into the grass 

 at my feet. This, of course, made me at once drop on to my knees, 

 and almost immediately I found this second male fluttering in a most 

 wild and excited manner about the long bodied apterous female. In 

 a few moments, perhaps half a minute, it succeeded in getting right 

 beneath the abdomen of its mate, which it clasped with all its legs, 

 and in this position the male assumed temporarily the natural resting 

 posture, with its bead reaching up to the third pair of the female's 

 logs. This habit may probably account for the extra length of the 

 abdomen in the female of this species, which, when extended and full 



