268 THK NATURAL HISTOTIT BEYIEW. 



XXIIT.— Desoiitptio:n- of an Ovo-yiviparous Moth, belonging 

 TO THE Genus Ti7iea. By A. W. Scott, Esq., M.A.* 



I. AM induced, from tlie novelty of the subject, to lay before the 

 Society a short description, accompanied by illustrations, of a Moth 

 recently lound on Ash Island, which j)ossesses the remarkable, and, 

 I believe, unique quality of being ovo-viviparous ; a quality hitherto 

 known to exist only in some few groups of the Insecta, but never 

 attributed to any species of the Lepidoptera. Those admirable 

 writers, Kirby and Spence, in the 3rd Volume of their " Introduc- 

 tion to Entomology," page 63, express themselves thus, " By far 

 the larger portion of Insects is oviparous in the ordinary acceptance 

 of the term. The Ovo-viviparous tribes at present known are 

 scorpions ; the flesh-fly, and several other flies ; a minute gnat be- 

 longing to Latreille's family of Tibularise; some species of Coccus ; 

 some bugs {Geocoriscd, Lat.), and most Aphides, which last also 

 exhibit the singular fact of individuals of the same species being 

 some oviparous, and others, ovo-viviparous ; the former being longer 

 in proportion than the latter." Ton will perceive that no mention 

 is made by these scientific gentlemen in 1828, the date of the work 

 from which I have quoted, of any Lepidopterous insect possessing 

 the faculty of ejecting living larv« ; and I cannot find, on care- 

 ful reference to many subsequent publications, some of recent date, 

 any notice to the effect that this peculiar function appertains to any 

 species of butterfly or moth. I, therefore, take the liberty to 

 submit this singular fact for your consideration and future investi- 

 gation, trusting that such information, however small in itself, but 

 tending, nevertheless, towards the perfecting of that branch of 

 Natural History, to which this Society exclusively devotes itself, 

 will be received by the members with some degree of interest. 



As my family takes an equal part with myself in all matters 

 connected with Natural History, I will, with your permission, use 

 the pronoun, ive, as I now proceed to describe more accurately 

 and at greater length the econonw of this curious little creature. 



* Reprinted from the " Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South 

 Wales, vol. I., part I., Sydney, 1863. This pa])er is of much interest, as record- 

 ing a fact hitherto unique among the Lepidoptera, and one to which the attention 

 of Entomologists for conflnnation of Mr. Scott's observations should be directed. — 

 Ed. 



