NOTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARVJE, ETC. 207 



state. These are very liable to be " ichneumoned " — of those collected 

 last season, four out of five were stung. Change of air and of food- 

 plant do not help the breeder of this species ; the larva often sicken 

 and die from this cause. Can the species be reared from eggs ? The 

 eggs must first be obtained, and this is no easy task. You require a 

 pair of strong boots, and, if you are a devotee of football, you will find 

 that your shin-guards will come in handy. Then take a ticket to the 

 Isle of Man for a week or a fortnight. After your arrival there, take 

 rest, and in the morning make for the coast and set about climbing 

 the rugged rocks — the rougher they are the more chance of success — 

 and searching in every nook and corner of them. You cannot work for 

 a great length of time the first feAv days. Work the rocks up and down ; 

 sometimes you will be more than a hundred feet up the cliff, at another 

 time close down to the sea. Do not be disheartened if you do not 

 find anything the first few days. Try again, for you will succeed 

 if you persevere, and if you come across a female she will, no doubt, 

 reward you for your labours with a nice batch of eggs. I was fortunate 

 enough to take two females this season, and from them obtained a 

 nice lot of eggs. My friend Mr. Taylor, although he searched very 

 hard for a week, did not take either a male or a female. P. xantlio- 

 mista passes most of its time in the egg-stage, remaining in that 

 stage from September till May. The eggs require very little atten- 

 tion : they will do all right if kept in any room where there is no 

 fire. The larvfe all hatch within a few days of each other. If the 

 flowers of thrift, which is their natural food-plant, cannot be obtained, 

 the larvfB will take readily to sallow or groundsel. They do not grow 

 very fast during the first week, but soon begin to eat freely, and go 

 down by the end of June. The larvffi feed only by night, and like to 

 hide under small stones in a warm, dry situation. A very little stale 

 food is certain death to them ; they never seem to recover if once 

 they taste it ; but they will hunt for and find it if there is any about. 

 Old food should never be allowed to remain in the bottom of the 

 cages. Growing plants in small pots are the best, and it is very easy 

 to have a few planted in readiness for the hatching of the larvae. 

 I cover mine over with small glass cylinders, covered at the top with 

 fine gauze. They will pupate under the small pieces of stone, form- 

 ing an earthen cocoon, and do not require more than an inch of fine 

 soil or sand ; but I think it is important to have the bits of stone, as 

 the larvfe seem to require a little pressure. I do not disturb the 

 pupae, and did not lose a single one this season. They remain in pupa 

 about three months. — H. Murray, Lowbank Villa, Carnforth. De- 

 rember, 1895. 



Forcing Acherontia atropos. — From five living pupae of A. 

 atropos I managed to secure two perfect insects this year by forcing. 

 I placed them in a big pot upon the kitchen range. The first, which 

 was perspiring under a temperature of 100 deg. F., when discovered, 

 squeaked splendidly, and flew about the kitchen when released. The 

 second, dug up on a Thursday, submitted to heat, appeared on the 

 following Thursday. Of course, the earth in the pot was kept almost 

 saturated with moisture. — (Rev.) C. R. N. Burrows. November, 

 1895. 



Probable wandering habit of Ckruras before pupation. — Dr. 

 Chapman's remarks (aw <e, p. 73) about Certtra fciCMsjp/s and the pro- 



