156 THE entomologist's record. 



tliey had bought pupae from the same dealer. If Major-General Garden 

 had not bought pupse of machaon, such an error could hardly occur 

 with his specimens, and it would tend to confirm the dealer's statement 

 with regard to Mr. Esam's specimens. — En.] 



Erratic Copulation. — Whilst searching with a light for N. hispi- 

 daria on oak trunks at Chingford, I took a Hibernia marginaria, in cop. 

 with a Nyssia hispklaria ; this will, perhaps, interest your readers ; 

 although we could obtain no ova, as the female, after living a week, 

 died without depositing. — F. W. Harvev, Tottenham. — [The sexes of 

 each species should always be given in a communication of this kind. 

 —Ed.] 



Egg Laying of Endromis versicolor. — A male and female 

 emerged in the afternoon of February 27th, and must have paired 

 almost immediately. They continued in copulation until 10 ji.m. the 

 same evening. The female began laying at 10.45 p.m. on dead twigs 

 of birch, to which they were fastened on their lung sides in rows of six 

 to eight, or ten ; in one case one row being laid on the other, and at 

 first very conspicuous. The egg is long, somewhat cylindrical in shape, 

 but almost twice as long as broad, and with the extremities rounded ; 

 the colour is pale green, changing very quickly to pale yellow, whilst 

 the following mornnig the yellow was much deeper. A distinct longi- 

 tudinal depression is noticeable along the upper side of the egg. Three 

 days after, they became orange, whilst the development of the embryo 

 could be seen to be rapidly perfecting, certain dark areas being very 

 pronounced. The colour changes gradually to jiurple, until, five days 

 after being laid, they are of a tint roughly corresponding to the dead 

 birch twigs (some of them still yellow, and, I presume, infertile). The 

 eo-o-s were first laid in rows on tlie long side of the egg on the twigs, 

 the ? , after thus laying several little 1 matches of eggs utilised cracks in 

 the box in which she was placed for the purpose, the ovij)Ositor being- 

 thrust round in such a manner as to suggest that this may be a frequent 

 habit in nature. The eggs, too, so consjiicuous when first laid, are thus 

 well hidden. This female laid just 100 eggs, and died on March 4th, 

 the abdomen being, apparently, quite empty. The larvae commenced 

 to hatch on April 6th. 



A second male and female emerged on February 28th, and I found 

 them in copulation before 5 p.m. These separated at 10.30, and the 

 $ commenced laying the same night in crevices of the box between 

 two layers of cardboard. Some of these rows consisted of as many as 

 20 eggs, and were very regularly arranged. This female laid about 

 136 eggs, and died on March 5th. The larvre commenced to hatch on 

 April 11th.— J. W. TuTT. 



With regard to the way in which tlie ova of E. versicolor are laid in 

 a natural state, I think I can throw a little light on the subject. While 

 seai'ching for larva of Geometra papilionarla at Wyre Forest in the 

 spring of 1891, I found ova of E. versicolor in a little cluster at the end 

 of a thin twig. Careful searching resulted in a smaller batch being 

 found under exactly similar conditions. Although the above does not 

 prove that this is the universal habit of the species, it certainly sup- 

 plies an interesting fact. — G. W. Wynn, 192, Lozells Koad, Handsworth, 

 Birmingham. 



Parasites on larv.?<; of Melit.^a ai'rinia. — In searching for larvae 

 of M. aurinia (artemis), on Friday last, I came across a few (in two 



