THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 227 



that, after the last ecdysis is passed, the larva; must then 

 either attain maturity in the autumn, or, if not allowed to do 

 that, they will die off. I should much like to be informed 

 what reasons subsist in proof of the theory, propounded by 

 the old naturalists, that the female of O. gonostigma, like 

 that of Lipavis aurillua and other species, clothes her eggs 

 with down, because the scorching rays of the sun might 

 prove injurious to them. — J. R. S. Clifford. 



Fond-planl of Onjijia gonosdgma. — In the last number of 

 the * Entomologist,' INIr. H. Robinson, of Coventry, kindly 

 gives us other food-plants on which the larvae of O. gono- 

 stigma will feed, namely, blackthorn and whitethorn ; but I do 

 not see how he can state that oak as a food for this larva is a 

 mistake : we have always found it feed more freely on this than 

 anything else. This season I have been very successful in getting 

 all the larvae of this species, that I had from eggs deposited 

 by the first brood, into the imago state (unfortunately small 

 specimens). These larvae I supplied with oak and sallow, 

 and I found that they fed very little on the former, while any 

 of the latter was to be obtained. I certainly think that my 

 success in getting all my larva; to change into pupae was on 

 account of giving them a constant supply of fresh sallow. On 

 one occasion 1 placed a iew young larvae of Gonostigma in 

 ajar, with some other larvae I had feeding on beech, and was 

 not a little surprised to find that they ale this rather freely. 

 I certainly, therefore, think that the larva of Gonostigma is, 

 like that of Antiqua, a universal feeder. — J. R. Well man ; 

 14:, Portland Place Norlh, Clapliam Road, S.W., September 

 23, 1874. 



Do some of the Lame of Salnrnia Carpini Hyhernate? — 

 Has it before been noticed that some of the larvas of Saturnia 

 Carpini apparently hybernate ? In June I took a young 

 brood, newly emerged, on the top of a little tuft of heather. 

 They gradually came to grief, one way or another, all but two. 

 Of these one is now full fed, and thinking about making its 

 cocoon ; the other is only about eleven lines long, and very small 

 altogether: it has remained this size, and in the penultimate 

 stage of colouring (yellowish green, and black markings), for 

 the last five weeks ; yet it eats, and seems quite healthy. — 

 W. D. Robinson-Douglas ; Orcliardton, Castle Douglas, N. B., 

 September 3, 1874. 



