202 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



deposited on a horizontal surface, the eggs of one little batch of eight 

 are placed upright, two of a batch of four almost so, the others being 

 laid horizontally. All the other eggs were laid round the lower edge of 

 the glass, all within a half-inch of the bottom, in a few cases some 

 overlaid the others, possibly because the $ could not get a hold on 

 the glass higher up to lay them in their natural upright position on a 

 vertical surface. One batch numbered above 90, but these may have 

 been laid at various times and not all at one sitting. It is worth 

 noting that the $ was in absolutely perfect condition at the time she 

 died, the confinement in a rather small glass not having led her to 

 damage herself at all. Two eggs, possibly infertile, remain yellow. 

 They may, of course, have only been just laid. 



The courtship of Hepialus humuli. 



By Lt.-Col. MANDERS, E.A.M.C, F.E.S., etc. 



The insect usually emerges from the pupa at about 6.30 p.m.- 

 7.0 p.m., and probably pairs the same evening. I say this, as, in my 

 experience, pairmg of butterflies and moths takes place as soon as the 

 female is mature. 



On June 25th, I noticed a male hovering in the usual well-known 

 manner for quite five minutes over the same patch of grass, but, being 

 accompanied by an impatient entomological friend, I was unable to 

 further investigate. HoAvever, the following evening I found what I 

 believe to have been the same insect hovering in the same spot, and I 

 watched him carefully from 9.30 p.m. -9.45 p.m., during Avhich time 

 he never shifted his position. 



I was under the impression that he was attracted by a female 

 lurking in the grass, or, possibly, by an empty pupa-case which had 

 contained a female insect. But it was not so ! for, while he continued 

 thus, a female from up-wind, or, strictly speaking, from his half left 

 front, joined him, and, after toying together for half a minute or so, 

 the}' flew against the wind, the female leading. After flying thus for 

 a few yards the female settled on a grass stalk, but the male passed on 

 and lost her, and commenced again to hover. In half a minute she 

 flew up and joined him again, when the same process was repeated; 

 for thrice the male missed her, but, on the fourth occasion, a gust of 

 wind blew him backwards, when he joined her in the grass and 

 coupling took place. There is no doubt that, in this case, the female 

 sought the male, contrary to the usually received notions regarding 

 the pairing of insects, and I am inclined to think, as in the case of the 

 Oniithoptera, that the female takes a more prominent part in courtship 

 than is usually imagined. 



I remember Dr. Chapman writing an interesting note on his 

 observations on this insect, but I have purposely refrained from looking 

 up the reference in order that I may give an unbiassed account of the 

 phenomenon as I saw it. Both insects were in perfect condition. 



Hybrid Sphingids. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 

 The study of hybridity in lepidoptera has not yet produced a real 

 specialist in Britain, although Mr. Newman has paid some attention 



