October, 18S3.] 97 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PROCRIS GLOBULARIJE. 

 BY WILLIAM BUCKLEE. 



Before proceeding to transcribe my notes of this species, I am 

 anxious to make a few remarks, which, while bearing on the subject 

 in hand, have also a wider reference, and will apply to other papers, 

 which I am hoping to pen hereafter. 



After investigating the life-histories of our Macro-Lepidoptera, 

 and figuring their larvae, since 1858, I have amassed more or less 

 satisfactory notes and figures of about 850 species, beginning with 

 the Diurni and ending with the Cramhites. 



Hitherto my friends have been able to supply me with British 

 examples, but it will be evident, from the numbers given above, that 

 the time has come when there arises a yearly-increasing difficulty in 

 obtaining ova or larvae of the (comparative!}'') few species yet un- 

 touched ; whilst the old adage "ar* longa vita hrevis^^ remains as true 

 as ever ; and therefore it is, that in view of these pressing reasons, 

 and after consulting the friends, whose opinion I most rely on, I have, 

 after some little hesitation, resolved to avail myself of continental aid. 



This resolve does not lessen my desire to take my notes and 

 figures in all possible cases from indigenous examples ; in every case as 

 before, I shall make a point of stating exactly and truthfully the source 

 from whence my information is derived, so that there will be, I trust, 

 no ground for complaint that I have ever attempted mystification, or 

 added to the difiiculties of the naturalists who take in hand the onerous 

 and responsible task of settling the extent of our native fauna. 



On 25th of June, 1882, I had the pleasure to receive from Herr 

 Heinrich Disque, of Speier, several eggs of Procris glohularice, together 

 with the parent moth herself, which he had induced to deposit her 

 eggs in a small cylindrical box with glass ends ; one egg hatched on 

 July 10th, but the larva was killed in the effort to take it fi-om the 

 cylinder ; on the 14th, five or six larvae were hatched, but I was unable 

 to extract more than two of them uninjured, as they all were much 

 entangled with web or remains of cotton wool obstinately clinging to 

 the box ; the remaining eggs hatched next day, but most unfortunately 

 just when my vision became disturbed from a bilious derangement, 

 and the larvae from them were all fatally injured in my attempts to 

 get them out of the box, as next day with sight restored I saw them 

 lying dead on the leaves of Centaurea. 



I now looked for the two larvae that had previously been safely 

 put with a leaf of Ckntaurea nigra in a small tin box, but could discern 



