NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 283 



bridge ; but, after working sorae hours in the locality, did not 

 capture a single specimen. On the 11th we again visited the 

 first-named locality, and were rewarded with a very fair number, 

 mostly females, in fine condition. We may, therefore, presume 

 that the above dates would be the best time to collect any that 

 may be required for the cabinet. 



Stonehouse, Plymouth. November 16. 1882. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 

 Note on Chelonia caja. — While wandering about Epping 

 Forest on the 25th of July, 1882, 1 picked up from a tuft of grass 

 in a bare open spot, and put into a pill box, a female Chelonia 

 caja. On reaching home (on the 29th) I found that it had laid a 

 quantity of eggs (afterwards counted, to the number of 000) and 

 died. The eggs were watched daily until the 26th of August, 

 when, as if by magic, all suddenly hatched. The caterpillars 

 were immediately fed upon lettuce leaves, and all throve and 

 grew, changiug their skins once or twice within the following ten 

 days or so. About that time a number of the caterpillars — 

 about 200 — began to grow much more rapidly than the rest, 

 these latter, however, continuing perfectly healthy though in- 

 creasing but little in size, being now about one-half to three- 

 quarters of an inch in length. After about a fortnight more I 

 separated all these sluggish growing larvae, and subsequently, con- 

 cluding that they would not now feed up to their full size before 

 winter but would hybernate, I turned them out of doors to take their 

 chance. The 200 thriving ones continued to feed voraciously, 

 growing very rapidly until towards the end of September, when 

 they began to spin up and assume the chrysalis state. Just at 

 that time, very unfortunately, the lettuce plants, from which they 

 had been hitherto fed, failed, and leaves from a fresh and more 

 luxuriant batch of plants were given to them. The effect of (I 

 suppose) the too luxuriant growth of these fresh leaves was to 

 disease and kill the larger number. About 30, or 40, however 

 escaped and became chrysalids, ten having become perfect insects 

 within the last fortnight. All these imagos are almost exactly 

 like their parent, of a rather pale type, but offering scarcely any 

 variety in their markings ; the rest will doubtless emerge very 

 shortly ; three, in fact, have appeared to-day. My object in noting 



