﻿65 
  

  

  The 
  markings 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  observed 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  

   gum 
  secretion. 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  come 
  across 
  ova 
  in 
  the 
  wild 
  stage, 
  

   they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  laid 
  singly 
  or 
  in 
  pairs, 
  but 
  in 
  captivity 
  practi- 
  

   cally 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  side 
  by 
  side, 
  nearly 
  always 
  on 
  

   the 
  muslin 
  of 
  the 
  cage. 
  Over 
  what 
  period 
  the 
  female 
  will 
  lay 
  in 
  

   the 
  wild 
  state 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  ascertained, 
  but 
  in 
  captivity 
  my 
  ex- 
  

   perience 
  is 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  process. 
  The 
  insects 
  separate 
  

   within 
  an 
  hour 
  or 
  so 
  of 
  dusk 
  on 
  the 
  day 
  following 
  pairing, 
  aad 
  

   practically 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  an 
  hour 
  

   or 
  so, 
  

  

  "Larva. 
  — 
  When 
  newly 
  hatched 
  the 
  larvje 
  greatly 
  resemble 
  both 
  

   those 
  of 
  populi 
  and 
  ocellata, 
  but 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  readily 
  separated 
  at 
  this 
  

   early 
  stage 
  by 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  horn, 
  which 
  in 
  tili(B 
  is 
  a 
  dark 
  fuscous 
  

   shade, 
  in 
  populi 
  green, 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  larva, 
  and 
  in 
  

   ocellata 
  a 
  pinkish 
  red. 
  The 
  larva 
  feeds 
  on 
  a 
  very 
  wide 
  range 
  of 
  

   food-plants, 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  being 
  elm 
  and 
  lime, 
  but 
  including 
  

   sallow, 
  honeysuckle, 
  birch, 
  elder, 
  oak, 
  and 
  ash. 
  

  

  " 
  Pupa. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  frail 
  cell 
  or 
  cocoon 
  composed 
  of 
  

   earth 
  spun 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  silk 
  threads. 
  The 
  anal 
  spike 
  is 
  large 
  

   and 
  thick, 
  and 
  this 
  will 
  readily 
  separate 
  it 
  froiii 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sphingid 
  group, 
  quite 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  colour, 
  which 
  is 
  deep 
  red- 
  

   brown 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  Mivias 
  tiUo! 
  does 
  burrow 
  to 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  

   several 
  inches, 
  but 
  I 
  think 
  that 
  this 
  must 
  be 
  very 
  occasional. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  searching 
  for 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  wild 
  one 
  almost 
  invariably 
  finds 
  it 
  on 
  

   the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  tree. 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  practi- 
  

   cally 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  immediately 
  below 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  

   dead 
  leaves, 
  twigs, 
  etc. 
  Sods 
  of 
  earth 
  thrown 
  against 
  the 
  tree 
  will, 
  

   when 
  removed, 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  disclose 
  the 
  pupa 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  

   the 
  ground. 
  Frequently 
  the 
  larva 
  does 
  not 
  go 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  but 
  

   spins 
  up 
  a 
  frail 
  covering 
  of 
  silk 
  behind 
  rotten 
  bark. 
  In 
  other 
  cases 
  

   it 
  will 
  be 
  discovered 
  in 
  holes 
  where 
  the 
  tree 
  has 
  rotted 
  at 
  the 
  ground 
  

   level. 
  These 
  holes 
  are 
  generally 
  filled 
  up 
  with 
  decayed 
  vegetable 
  

   matter, 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  cases 
  the 
  pupa 
  would 
  be 
  disclosed 
  about 
  one 
  

   inch 
  below 
  the 
  same. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  the 
  wild 
  state 
  the 
  larva 
  appears 
  to 
  feed 
  more 
  frequently 
  on 
  

   elm 
  than 
  on 
  any 
  other 
  tree, 
  at 
  least 
  that 
  is 
  one's 
  experience 
  when 
  dig- 
  

   ging 
  for 
  the 
  pupse. 
  The 
  larva 
  when 
  preparing 
  to 
  pupate 
  very 
  rarely 
  

   goes 
  far 
  from 
  the 
  tree 
  trunk. 
  Not 
  only 
  should 
  trees 
  in 
  fields 
  be 
  

   searched, 
  but 
  those 
  in 
  public 
  roads 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  examined, 
  par- 
  

   ticularly 
  where 
  the 
  tree 
  has 
  thrown 
  up 
  suckers 
  from 
  the 
  roots, 
  as 
  

   these 
  are 
  generally 
  well 
  surrounded 
  with 
  masses 
  of 
  dead 
  leaves, 
  etc., 
  

   which 
  form 
  a 
  most 
  suitable 
  medium 
  for 
  pupation. 
  

  

  