176 January, 



earth, or to protection under stones, appearing on fine days during winter, and thus 

 pass their life without making much growth. When spring comes, they regain their 

 vigour, and then is formed on their hinder part the singular cradle which receives their 

 numerous family. They lay their eggs, and live languidly for more than a month 

 afterwards." 



I have never captured or had the male, which it appears is only 

 to be found in the autumn, and although it seems certain that but 

 comparatively few of this sex are developed, yet it may be possible to 

 obtain some by rearing them from the larvae. The male larvae, accord- 

 ing to Signoret, may be distinguished by the two caudal lamellae being: 

 narrow ; by the long, stout, first joint of the antennae, and the still 

 longer terminal joint (the very peculiar form of the antennae being 

 altogether abnormal in this family) ; and by the conjoined tibia and 

 tarsus on all the legs. This Orthezia is not scarce in the larva-state, 

 in August and September, in many places, on various plants, and there' 

 is, therefore, an opportunity for some of our aspirants to obtain and 

 rear some males to maturity ; the history of the last changes would 

 form an extremely interesting article ; and the same may be said, in: 

 an even greater degree, of the other species. 



In the Trans. Ent. Soc. London, N. S., iv, Proceed., p. 5 (1856), 

 is a very interesting and humorous account, by the late Edward 

 Newman, of the birth and infantile life of a brood of O. cliaracias, 

 derived from a female that I had given to him early in June. 



The generic name Orthesia, given by Bosc, in 1784, in honour of i 

 the Abbot of Orthez (l'abbe d'Orthez— not Dorthez, as has been 

 stated), was altered in 1785, by the Abbe himself to " DorthesiaM 

 which was adopted by Latreille and others, but this not being correct, 

 according to orthographic rule, the original name was restored by 

 Amyot and Serville, written, however, Orthezia, as according better 

 with its derivation. 



8, Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : 

 20th November, 1880. 



Note on the food of Bothynotus pilosns. — It would seem from the editorial note: 

 (p. 165) that the supposed food-plant of this species is spruce fir. Such was certainly 

 not the case with my specimens. They were females with undeveloped wings, and 

 there is no coniferous tree or shrub within a considerable distance of the locality in 

 which they were taken. 



The underwood around the sand-pit consists of oak, hazel, and birch, with( 

 some broom at a little distance. I do not know whether any of these are likely to 

 he the food-plant.— E. N. Bloomfield, Guestling Rectory : December 11th, 1880. 



