1881.] 15 



The Insectarium at the Zoological Gardens. — Within the last few weeks a new 

 house in the Zoological Society's Gardens has been opened, which promises to be of 

 great interest to the public generally, and to entomologists in particular. This is an 

 "Insectarium," or house devoted to the exhibition of living specimens, in their 

 various stages, of the class of Insects. Such an exhibition is not absolutely new, 

 it is true, for something of the kind has been tried already in this country at the 

 Westminster Aquarium, as well as on the continent at the Hamburg Zoological 

 Gardens. In neither case, however, was the experiment made on any large scale, 

 and in the first instance at least, it has not proved, hitherto, a great success. 

 The " Insectarium " stands in what is known as the " North Garden " — as the slip 

 of land lying on the Northern bank of the Regent's Canal is called — not far from 

 the northern entrance to the gardens. It is of an oblong shape, with a glass roof, 

 and with three of its sides, including the south one, also consisting largely of glass. 

 The remaining or northern side is of cement and brick. The floor is paved with 

 tiles, and beneath it hot-water pipes run round the house, which admit of its being 

 kept up to any necessary temperature. 



The larger insects are exhibited in glass cages, provided with tops of pei'forated 

 zinc, and with metal floors in which can be inserted, if necessary, a flower-pot with 

 growing plants for the larvae to feed on. These cages, which are rather larger than 

 an ordinary Wardian case, are arranged along two sides of the house, those 

 on the south side being at present chiefly occupied by various exotic silk- 

 producing Bombyces, whilst the smaller ones on the north are devoted to English 

 Lepidoptera of various species. On tables in the middle of the room are bell-glasses 

 with various aquatic insects, as well as other cages containing smaller species, or 

 very young larvae of Lepidoptera, together with a few insects of other groups. 



At the present time, the Lepidoptera are best represented. There is a good 

 collection of the cocoons of the Bombyces exhibited, and many of these have come 

 out, and produced beautiful imagos. Amongst others, Samia Gloveri and P. 

 Cecropia, Attacus Atlas and Actias luna may be mentioned as having been exhibited 

 alive during the past few weeks. Eggs of most of these have also been obtained, so 

 that no doubt before long, larvae of them will be visible, though at present the only 

 silk-moth larvae shown are those of A. Yama-mai. 



Of European Lepidoptera, imagos of Papilio Machaon, Melitcea Cinxia, and 

 Nemeobius Lucina may be seen, whilst there are larvae, in various stages, or pupae of 

 many others, amongst which those of Melitcea Maturna, Apatura Ilia, and Iris, 

 Limeaitis popidi, and Sibylla, and Catocala fraxini are, just now, perhaps the 

 most interesting. 



The other Orders are represented chiefly by aquatic forms at present, in the 

 shape of sundry Hydradephaga and Philhydrida from amongst the Coleoptera, by 

 larvae of Agrion, Libellula, and Ephemera, together with Phryganidce in their cases, 

 Nepa, Notonecta, and a few others. The Hymenoptera are, as yet, hardly represented, 

 though in time there seems no reason why the visitors to Eegent's Park should not 

 be able to study for themselves the habits of the ant and the economy of the hive- 

 bee. Perhaps Sir John Lubbock could help here ? 



As yet, of course, only a beginning has been made, but enough has even now, 

 we think, been done to prove the success of the experiment, which is of course 

 capable of development to almost any extent. As the season advances, the number 

 of insects exhibited will no doubt become much increased, whilst constant chances, 



