182 THE ENTOBIOLOGISt's RECOKll. 



shows that they can. There is a noticeable difference in the colora- 

 tion of these insects, those that emerged in April, 1898, having the 

 undersides of a warmer brown tint, and more suffused than those bred 

 indoors in 1892, the latter having the undersides lighter, with, in 

 some cases, the darkening of the edge round the hind margin of the 

 hind-wings much more pronounced. — Herbert Williams, Hornsey 

 Rise, N. AiKjust I5t/i, 1896. 



Pupal spines used for cutting the silk of cocoons. — In looking 

 over the Entoiiinloi/ist's Ucconl (vol. viii., No. 6) I was much interested 

 in the review of Kirby's work on " Butterffies," by J. B. I was sur- 

 prised to learn of the many errors pointed out, especially as the work 

 emanated from a man of Mr. Kirby's standing. J. B. seems to be 

 ignorant of the fact that some moths cut their way out of the cocoon 

 by means of a " strong spine." Artias luna, for instance, has these 

 so-called spines. In A. luna the organ is hard (chitinous), and black in 

 colour. It is in the form of a serrated spear, or, in other words, is a 

 pointed saw. There is one of these spines on each side of the thorax, 

 and when the moth is ready to emerge, it spins around in the cocoon, 

 and alternately drives the saws through the silken cocoon. There are 

 then two movements which would be analogous to a man turning on 

 a pivot, and elevating one shoulder and then the other. The cutting 

 through tha silk and the harder parts of the cocoon can be heard at 

 quite a distance. This cuts a circle in the end of the cocoon, but the 

 circle is not freed, all the strands probably not being severed. I think 

 it would be impossible for an A. luna to emerge Avith the aid of the acid 

 ffuid alone. This must all be quite familiar to you, but should have 

 been stated, as many of your readers may accept J. B.'s query as im- 

 plying a doubt of the fact. — Henry Hkinner, Prof. Ent., Acad. Nat. 

 Sci., Philadelphia. [We are disposed to think that J. B.'s query was in- 

 tended to throw doubt on the suggestion that the spines referred to are 

 placed " under the wings of the moth." Dr. Chapman has described 

 {Ent., xxiii., p. 94) a remarkable cutting instrument in the pupa of 

 Ili/hocainjia inilliauscri, but this is placed on the head ; those of Artias 

 luna are placed on the thorax. These cutting instruments are pupal 

 structures, and cannot very Avell be placed " under the wings of the 

 moth." — Ed.] . 



Aphomia sociella in the nests of Bombus and Vespa. — Last 

 autumn, in examining a nest of Jioinhus wirorum [muscorum^ I found 

 a large colony of larvte among the moss. The greater part of the wax 

 of the cells had been devoured, and the honey run out, and as a con- 

 sequence the inhabitants of the nest had nearly all gone away or 

 perished. This was about the end of August. I removed the nest 

 with the larvte to a large glass with bell top, and after the larva; had 

 spun up into a hard mass the size of a cricket ball, I placed the glass 

 in a cool place. On taking it out, the first week in June, I found that 

 the moths — which turned out to be Aplunnia socidla (colinuila) — were 

 beginning to emerge, and by the middle of June the mass had yielded 

 up its occupants, which included some ichneumons and Braconids. I 

 examine very many nests every year of the carder bees, and 

 always find a few larva3, but only now and then a large colony. I 

 have never found them in the underground nests, either of bees or 

 wasps. Another colony of A. sucidla I bred had migrated from a 

 nest under a Wellingtonia in a garden lawn, and spun up a large ball 



