1885.] J27 



some eggs of Botys hyalinalis, which I had been so fortunate as to 

 secure, laid upon slips of glass, thus affording a good opportunity for 

 observing them under the microscope. 



The early stages, interesting as they were, may be passed over 

 here, but by the 15th, being the tenth day of incubation, the young 

 larva was well formed, and most of the organs could be made out. 

 That morning the dorsal vessel became visible, and at 8 a.m. I noticed 

 the first traces of circulation in it. The pulsations at first were very 

 faint and feeble, taking place somewhat irregularly at long intervals 

 of 20 and even 30 seconds ; at 2 p.m., they had become more distinct, 

 with shorter intervals between each beat, and became still more 

 accelerated by the evening. At this time the beautiful ramifications 

 of the tracheae came rather suddenly into view. The oral organs were 

 well-developed, and conspicuous from their brown colour. The oeso- 

 phagus also could be distinctly traced, especially when, by a sucking 

 action, a bolus of yolk-granules was drawn down, and seen to pass 

 into the alimentary canal, which effort was continued at intervals on 

 the 16th, till ali the remaining yolk-granules had been ingested. 



Then a period of rest took place during part of the 17th, when a 

 beautifully clear view of the heart and its action was obtained, Ihe 

 pulsations being timed at 40 per minute, increasing to 60 at 8 p.m., 

 when great exertion was manifested on the part of the larva just before 

 escaping from the e^g at 8.10. Thus, it will be seen, some sixty hours 

 had elapsed from the time I was first able to detect a circulatory 

 movement in the dorsal vessel. 

 Ashford : October \st, 1885. 



THE QUESTION RESPECTING- THE aENUS AULOCERA. 

 BY ARTHUR G. BUTLER, F.L.S., F.Z.S , &c. 



A few days since I received a letter from Major Terbury, now 

 stationed at Campbellpur, but then on a trip to the Murri Hills, in 

 which he says : — " Among the butterflies are two Aulocera, which I 

 cannot think are identical, though 1 now and again take a specimen 

 that appears to link them, they frequent quite different ground; 

 No. 50 (your A. ScyUa ?) being found on the top of the hill 7000 ft. 

 above sea level ; No. 42 on the side of the hill, upwards of 1000 ft. 

 lower down. I have not, so far, taken the two together." 



Now, when I saw M. de Niceville's somewhat excited reply to a 

 paper which I wrote solely in the interests of truth, I first thought of 

 the motto on the cover of this magazine, and afterwards of the para- 

 graph above quoted, and which bears somewhat weightily in my favour. 



