216 THE entomologist's record. 



It is easy enough to get the young autumn and spring larvca exactly'' 

 like the twigs. They grew that way in time, by the twigs protecting 

 special individuals by their resemblance. But, when the cliange of 

 skin came, that green crest to resemble the leaf just breaking, and then 

 the final change, according to taste, green or brown, look very like 

 premeditation. Lots of these hibernating larvte do it. To mention 

 one — a cousin of this, by the way — vernaria, on the wild clematis, in 

 the autumn and early spring, is a little thin brown larva, which sits 

 quite stiff, just like the dry withered stumps of leaf and tendril stalk. 

 When the new leaf-stalks and tendrils begin to shoot it changes to 

 green. And the eggs of the moth are like little green cheeses, piled one 

 on the top of the other, exactly like a closely-folded tendril. What 

 will you make of behaviour of this class ? Don't give it up ! I expect 

 Nature's riddles always have rather a good answer. The more instances 

 we can get, the better chance is there of finding some answer. Perha^js 

 there are more answers than one. 



How many have you got ? Larvas, I mean, not answers. Two 

 dozen ? Well, that will have to be enough. Kee^j them with plenty of 

 fresh birch, as you can't get alder at Winchester, and give them some 

 dry moss to spin among. 



Now let's have lunch, as it is getting on for two o'clock. We won't 

 be long, but I do like ten minutes' rest. There are lots of other things 

 which we might have done this morning. But one can't do everything, 

 and I wanted some of those banded cinctaria. I exj^ect Lyccena 

 anjiolus was still out among the hollies, and we might have gone into 

 the woods and worked the honeysuckle for larvae of PericalUa sijrhujaria 

 and Liiiienitis sibylla ; there would liave been plenty of the latter, and 

 a few of the former. The worst of that game is, that you can't very 

 well beat either, and searching is such hard work. Sihi/lla never leave 

 go of the branch, and syringaria are too far inside the big branches, 

 and too near the ground on the trailing stuff. Also, at the first touch, 

 they drop on to a thread. So that, unless you get the right bit first, 

 off they all go. But, in case you want to vary your day, as you may 

 do, go into any of the woods and oil your knee-joints. Be very care- 

 ful not to touch the trailers. It will be hard work, as no larvae are 

 easy to see. Sibylla are green now, though they hybernate brown, 

 with red spines. Look out for eaten leaves, and then search the stems 

 round about. Leaves recently eaten generally have minute drops of 

 juice along the edge. Syringaria are all shades of greenish or brownish, 

 down to deep red. They sit with their head between their heels, and 

 have two tails in the middle of their back. They are generally at 

 least six inches away from the place where they have been feeding, on 

 the stem, and are very hard indeed to see. You may beat one now and 

 then. At any rate, after you have searched any bush, open your tray 

 and beat a little. You are sure to get some nice larvae of Boarmia 

 repandata, and may breed var. conversaria. There is one very tiring 

 alternative morning's work. 



I had better give you one more, for variety's sake. You may go 

 among the big oaks and thorn bushes near the Station, and beat for 

 lichenaria, anywhere where you see the branches covered with lichen. 

 This is very plain work, as the larvae come easily into the tray, and the 

 lichen doesn't. If they came together, it would be nearly impossible ; 

 as, even in a pot of lichen, with twenty or thirty larvae in, I cannot see 



