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Early Stages of Erebus odora, Z. 

 By H. T. Fernald, B. S. 



The egg and larvae of Z'/r(5«5 o^/ora have never been described in 

 any scientific paper that has come under my observation, and it was with 

 great pleasure that I recently received from her Excellency, Mrs. H. A. 

 Blake, formerly of Nassau, N. P. , a record of observations on these 

 stages of this beautiful moth, which she has kindly given me permission 

 to publish. 



Toward the end of June, 1877, an adult moth of this species was 

 captured and placed under a bell glass, when on June 27th, it deposited 

 forty or fifty eggs. These were not attached to either the sides or bottom 

 of the glass and seemed to possess no glutinous matter. They were 

 spherical in form, flattened slightly at the poles, and under the micro- 

 scope showed a series of ridges passing from pole to pole. 



The eggs hatched during the forenoon of July 2nd, producing larvae 

 about a quarter of an inch in length and about the size of a bristle. They 

 became very active when disturbed and if one fell it spun a thread to the 

 end of which it remained attached. Each had but six pairs of feet. In 

 color they were dirty white with six longitudinal reddish stripes, broken 

 at intervals. Long hairs stood up here and there along the body. 



Various food plants were tried, viz : Lettuce {Lacliica sp. P), Sea 

 Grape {Cocoloba uvi/era), Poison Wood {Rhus sp. P), Palmetto {Sakil 

 sp. .'^), Wild Almond {A7uvgdalus sp. ,^); Silk Cotton [Bornbax ceida), 

 Tamerind [Tatnerindtis vtdica), and Sapodilla [Sapoia Achras, M.). 

 but all were untouched. One or two, however, appeared to eat Whist- 

 ling Bean leaves. 



On July 5th, but one larva remained but it had apjiarently grown 

 somewhat. Unfortunatelv, during its examination it was lost, a puff of 

 wind carrying off the leaf on which it was resting. 



In my note in vol. Ill, No. 4, of this magazine I alluded to a state- 

 ment by the natives that the larva of Erebus feeds on the Wild Fig. 

 Recently, the larva referred to has been proved to be that of a Sphinx, 

 thus showing how little reliance can be placed on the observations of un- 

 trained persons. 



Dr. Horn visits Europe again this season. The Doctor needs this 

 recreation and we know he will bring back with him fresh energy that 

 will enable him to continue his valuable work. His address will be : 

 Care of Dr. D. Sharp, Shirley Warren, Southampton, England. The 

 Doctor will leave May 9th, and will be gone all Summer. 



