158 THE entomologist's record. 



trouble in bringing to healthy pupas. Besides the hibernated species, 

 larvffi in very early stages will be found in the beating tray ; these, of 

 course, are less likely to be "stung," i.e., infected with parasites, and 

 will, to the careful breeder and ardent student, repay his patience. 

 Cannibal larv<B must be carefully looked out for and boxed separately,, 

 otherwise they will make short work of our other captures, and 

 probably the rarest of them. Cosmia trapezina, pale green, with white 

 spots, liead whitish — very active, and having a vicious look — is a 

 perfect demon, and must be carefully looked after, as he thinks nothing 

 of devouring his brother or sister ! Scopelosoma satelUtia is easily 

 known from its almost black velvety colour, and having a pure white 

 spot on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 12th segments. Great care must be 

 taken with your food plant to carefully examine every roUed-up leaf ; 

 one of these wretches in a larva cage will work fearful havoc. Many 

 elaborate arrangements are sold by dealers for beating purposes, but an 

 old gamp suits admirably. Hold well under the branch or bush, and 

 with a stout stick give a sharp tap to the thicker twigs, when larvae 

 and spiders, &c., will tumble out in surprising numbers ; pick out what 

 you want, and put in your larva tin, always supplying food from the 

 same plant ; reverse the umbrella, and allow the rejected to find their 

 way back to their favourite haunts. Great care must always be taken not 

 to crowd your breeding cages either with species or food-plant, and 

 cleanliness and fresh food are great desiderata. Where the food-plant 

 is very difticult to obtain, a little charcoal added to the water will keep 

 it fresh much longer. The great increase in the list of imagines for 

 this month almost jirecludes the possibility of even mentioning them. 

 Many Dinrni are now on the wing, and the young collector must not 

 dash wildly after each species seen, otherwise his legs will get tired 

 before the day is well begun. Many Geometers are now out, and will 

 be found in quiet nooks during day, but will hardly escaj^e the now 

 pi'actised eye of the young entomologist — J. P. Mutch. 



Flowers Attractive to Lepidoptera. — Thinking the following- 

 paragraph in a recent Daih/ News may interest (especially metropolitan) 

 readers of the Record, I venture to send it for insertion : — ' A suggestion 

 that valerian should be planted to attract the butterflies in our parks is 

 made by Mr. A. Hensman, 31, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, W., 

 who attributes to the valerian in Regent's Park the profusion of butter- 

 flies there last autumn. He says : — " Several species of the common 

 white butterfly are to be seen every year all over London, but such a 

 variety of the Vanessidce I never saw before. The painted lady, large 

 and small tortoiseshell, red admiral, and the lovely peacock butterfly 

 literally swarmed on the valerian, which is so attractive to these 

 species. I counted on one small patch which I could have covered 

 with my hat four of the above-named species." ' — Herbert E. Page, 

 Greenwich Road, S.E. April 7th, 181)3. 



Hyberxating larv^. — The Rev. G. M. A. Hewett kindly gave me 

 some ova of Boannia roboraria last autumn. These I sleeved on birch. 

 They were awake long before the birch was out, but they ate the bark, 

 and got fat on it. It may be useful to remind our London collectors 

 that birch is a food for this si^ecies. Birch is so easy and oak so 

 difiicult to gTOw in our London gardens. — J. W. Tutt. May, 1893. 



