1866.) 109 



NOTES ON COLLECTING, MANAGEMENT, &c. {LEPIBOPTERA.) 



BY H. G. KNAGGS, M.D. 



THE CATERPILLAE STATE {continued from Vol. 'i..,:pag^2). 



MAITAGEMENT — Food. 



Doubtless the rearer of Lepidoptera must often be perplexed as to what (in the 

 event of the pi'oper food being unobtainable) he shall provide for the sustenance of 

 his larv89. With a view to setting him on the tack most likely to yield success, the 

 following few suggestions and lists may, it is to be hoped, at any rate serve to 

 arrange his ideas upon the point. 



As a matter of course, when the true food-plant is at hand, it should be used 

 in preference to all others ; should it not naturally occur in our neighbourhood it 

 may, previously to its requirement, be potted or transferred to our garden-beds in 

 readiness for futui-e use ; or it may be regularly transmitted at suitable intervals, 

 secured in tins, when the locaHty in which it occurs is too far off to admit of our 

 taking a series of journeys after fresh supplies of it. On the other hand, if the 

 known food be not obtainable a substitute must be found. 



Substitute food-plants may be divided into at least four classes, viz. : — 

 Allied species (cultivated forms, &c.) of plants ; allied genera (families may here 

 be included) ; known substitutes (non-alUed) ; generally favourite foods. 



AlUed species to the true food-plant will usually offer the best chances of 

 success. By way of a few examples of this class of substitutes let me mention the 

 following : — for aspen, poplar may be tried ; for bedstraw, cHvers ; for bilberry, 

 cranberry or cowberry ; for bramble, raspberry ; for campion, ragged robin ; for 

 Canterbury -beU, hare-bell ; for sallow, wiUow ; for sloe, plum or gi-eengage ; for 

 primrose, cowslip ; for rock-rose, gum-cistus ; for sweet briar, rose ; for vetchUng, 

 everlasting pea ; for violet, heartsease ; for weld, mignonette ; for willow herb, 

 rose-bay ; for wormwood or mugwort, southernwood ; besides many others, es. 

 pecially cultivated fonns for wild ones, which might be enumerated. 



Our second choice of food-plant lies between the species of allied genera, of 

 which I subjoin a list of some examples (classed under the headings of the orders 

 or sub-orders to which they belong), for the guidance of those whose acquaintance 

 with botanical lore is, as in my own case, scanty. 



Some examples op Allied Genera of Plants. 



Ranunculace.e : Actcea, Baneberry. — Aconititm, Monkshood. — Adonis, Pheasant's- 

 eye.— Anemone, Anexaone.—AquilegiayColmnhme.— Caltha, Marsh marigold. — 

 ClemaUs, Traveller's joy. — Delphi/niicm, Larkspur. — Helleborus, Hellebore. — 

 Myosurus, Mouse-tail. — Nigella, Devil in the bush. — Poeonia, Pceony. — 

 Ranunculus, Crow-foot. — ThaUctrum, Meadow rue. — Trollius, Globe flower. 



Papaverace.e : Chelidonium, Celandine. — Qlaucium, Horned poppy. — Mecanopsis, 

 Welsh popy. — Papaver, Poppy. 



Arabide* (Crucifer.e) : Arabis, Eock cress. — Barla/rea, Winter cress. — Ca/rdamine, 

 Bitter cress. — Cheiranthtis, Wall flower. — Matthiola, Stock. — Nastwrtivmi 

 Water cress. — Tv/rritis, Tower mustard. 



