160 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The first, sectional, figure explains how two small flower-pots, 

 H and I, are secured base to base by means of a bolt and nut, o, 

 and how they are fixed within a larger flower-pot, o, with Portland 

 cement, k, the rims of h and g having been first ground or rasped 

 level, that the slate a may lie upon them evenly. A bowl of a 

 wine-glass, m, or other vessel for containing water, is then 

 embedded into cement l, in the pot h, in such a manner that it 

 is afterwards removable. The space n, between the pots h, i, 

 and G, is for the reception of soil, or such other materials as 

 occasion may require. 



The slate a (also represented in the second figure by cor- 

 responding letters to prevent repetition) is covered with felt or 



canvas, b, and is perforated 

 by drill and rhynder at d d, 

 or sawn out as at e e. The 

 dotted circles h and g indi- 

 cate the position beneath of 

 the flower-pots ; whilst the 

 dotted square, f, shows that 

 of the breeding-cage above. 

 For most purposes the holes 

 D D, of about five-eighths of 

 an inch in diameter, will be 

 found best adapted ; for the 

 largest larvse readily find 

 their way down them to the 

 chamber, which is darker, 

 and better suited for a hiding- 

 place than when the open- 

 ings are larger, and, what is 

 of greater importance, these 

 openings can be roofed over with movable pieces of card or tin, 

 bent as at p, to prevent frass from falling amongst the soil, &c., 

 and causing an unsanitary state of things. 



There are many purposes for which the space n may be used; 

 for instance, it may be filled with eight or nine inches depth of 

 sand for A. rijjce and other Agrotes which love to burrow; for 

 butterfly and many other larvae, sods or turfs may be substituted ; 

 or again, according to the inmates of the cage, bark, rotten 

 wood, broken reeds, short pieces of bamboo, dead leaves, &c., 

 may be supplied ; for the habits of many larvae are to secrete 

 themselves in a state of nature, and these do not seem to thrive 

 if deprived of their places of concealment. 



Fo7' hybernating larva a little modification of the chamber is 

 required : the pot g and contents should be sunk in the earth in 

 a north-east aspect, the water-vessel should be discarded, and the 

 centre hole plugged with the stalks of - such evergreens as 

 laurestinus, aucuba, ivy, euonymus, &c., with a few spikes of 



