176 THE entomologist's record. 



rounder than the others, which are elliptical. The full-grown larva 

 rests at full length, with the thoracic segments slightly raised, and 

 the head bent under. The first pair of legs do not rest on the stem. 

 When irritated, the larva does not fall ; but when forcibly knocked 

 oft", it forms a complete ring, but soon unfolds and climbs up a fresh 

 stem. It is very sluggish, only moving when compelled. When not 

 feeding, it rests habitually on the petiole of a leaf, with its head down- 

 wards. If brought near a bright light, such as an incandescent gas- 

 burner, the larva? would immediately commence to feed. If heat were 

 applied, the larv« would not feed, but would move about in a frantic 

 manner. They spun up in the manner of the Pierids, with a central 

 cincture and silk pad, to which the anal hooks were attached. The 

 head was turned upward. The larvfe readily spun up, but not one 

 safely pupated, and all I have left is one which is half-grown, in its 

 last stadium, and seems up to this date (January 7th) to be in a very 

 healthy condition. 



Notes on the egg, larva, pupa and cocoons of Phragmatobia 



fuliginosa. 



By A. W. BACOT, F.E.S. 



On April 20th, 1903, I received from Mr. J. W. Tutt, a box con- 

 taining a number of ova of Phrai/matubia fnliijinusa laid by a specimen 

 taken at Pegomas, near Cannes, on the 6th, with a request to count 

 the ova and rear as many imagines as possible, with a view to study- 

 ing their variation. 



OviPosiTiox. — Eggs examined April 20th, 1908 : The eggs were 

 laid in patches on the sides of a medium-sized glass-topped box (about 

 l^in. diameter). Their arrangement was fairly regular, laid after the 

 usual Spilosomid fashion ; the smallest patch contained 10 ova, the 

 largest 168, and between these extremes there were patches contaming 

 74, 51, 14, 84, 108, 46, 48 and 17 loose, in all 610. A few patches 

 were still of a pearly-cream colour, but most were of the delicate flesh - 

 pink, which is their most beautiful phase, and one was already 

 dal'kening to a lilac or dove-grey prior to hatching. This batch 

 commenced to hatch on April 22nd, and the last on May 1st. The 

 hatching occurred, apparently, strictly in the sequence of laying, and 

 it was most interesting to see how the successive darkening of the eggs 

 brought out the composite nature of the larger patches. The large 

 patch of 168 eggs proved to be composed of at least three separate 

 layings. About 40 or 50 ova would seem to be the normal batch, and 

 so far as later observations on the egglaying of the resulting imagines 

 showed, probably the result of one day's laying, or, possibly, an even- 

 ing's labour, a second batch being perhaps laid in the early morning, 

 the moth taking a rest between. I much regret that I was too busy 

 when the moths emerged and I was obtaining pairings to make 

 sufficiently frequent observations to definitely settle the point ; but 

 those I did maiie, lend some support to the above explanation, which 

 I think may be taken as fairly reasonable. Temperature is pi'obably a 

 most important factor in extending or shortening the period of ovi- 

 position, as it certainly is in regard to the number of hours or days 

 that are allowed to elapse before pairing takes place. I think, there- 

 fore, it may be taken as probable that tlie egglaying period of the 

 specimens captured by Mr. Tutt extended over some ten days, the 



