46 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S KECOKD. 



freshness of the plant. Afterwards, I employ similar, but larger cages, 

 well ventilated, kept cool and even moist, and in the open air as much as 

 possible for the hardier sorts. I find an occasional douche from a 

 watering-pot over the whole cage an excellent thing, and always put the 

 food plant into, say a stone ink-bottle, with water. By getting the cages 

 pretty uniform in size, and keeping the glass clean, scores of these 

 cages may be arranged in tiers, and can be examined with the greatest 

 ease. I always give mine plenty of light, but keep them out of the 

 sun, which quickly withers the food. It is very important to pack the 

 stems, not only to keep the water from evaporating too quickly, but 

 also to prevent the larvae from drowning themselves. I lost a fine brood of 

 Melanthia albiciUata, when full fed, in that way. They descended the 

 stem, presumably to pupate at its roots, and as they did so almost 

 simultaneously, the failure to observe them for about two hours was 

 fatal. I have reared the following species this season, in the way 

 mentioned, from the egg :■ — Endromis versicolor, Orijyia antiqua, 

 Eupithecia pulchellata, Melanthia albiciUata, Calocampa vetuata, 

 Cerigo matura, Naenia typica, Neuria reticulata, Dasychira 

 pudihunda, etc. — C. W. Williams, Penarth. Aug. 12th, 1895. 



Pupation of Callimorpha hera. — The larva of this species, unlike 

 most of its congeners, goes beneath the surface to undergo its 

 pupation. Perhaps this is the reason why some have failed to rear it. — 

 C. Fenn, Lee, 8.E. June 22nd, 1895. 



Feeding habit of Sesia myopiformis. — The larva of this species 

 feeds just under the bark in trees that are suffering from canker, or 

 that have been injured by the rough removal of branches. — Ibid. 



Knot-grass to the Fore. — (1) The larva of Hadena contigua is 

 r.aid by the authorities to feed upon birch and oak. Mr. Tutt sent me 

 a batch of eggs this year, with the suggestion to try the larvie with 

 knot-grass. Accordingly, when they hatched, I gave them the choice 

 between birch and knot-grass. They very speedily and very em- 

 phatically manifested their preference for the latter, and fed up well 

 on it. (2) Bilberry and heather are given as the food-plants of 

 Emydia crihrum. A batch of larva? have, however, thriven on knot- 

 grass and one of the common grasses, and are now fast pupating. 

 The larvas are of foreign origin ; possibly in their native haunt they 

 feed on different plants from their British relations. — F. J. Buckell, 

 M.B., 82, Canonbury Square, N. Sejd. (ith, 1895. 



SOCIETIES. 



At the meeting of The South London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society, on June 18th, 1895, Mr. Carrington exhibited the 

 floAver of a petunia having the petals edged with green, which he said 

 was a common " sport" in Germany, Mr. Frohawk : a dark leaden- 

 blue Lycaena bellargus, taken at Weymouth in 1892. On June 



27th, Mr. Jilger showed a series of Spilosoma lubricipeda, bred from 

 parents of the var. radiata ; among them were representatives of both 

 var. radiata and var. fasciata, as well as specimens almost of the 

 normal type. Mr. West (Greenwich) : specimens of Gryj>tocephaius 

 nitidulns, C. coryli, C. aurcolus, and Elater elongatulus — all taken in 



Headl(!y Lane on June 8rd. On July 11th, Mr. Fremlin exhibited 



a long and \ai'ial)le scries (bred) of I'horodennia sniaragdaria, whicli liad 

 been set with the aid of a blow-pipe. Mr. Oldham ; iSirex gigas from 



