THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 251 



of the leaves, but were simply, and thus without the help of 

 the saw, stuck here and there on to the under side of the 

 leaf (see fig. 13). The eggs were cylindrical, and rounded off 

 at either end (fig. 14) ; they were very small, of a yellow 

 colour, smooth and shining. In the most developed ones a 

 difference of colour could be observed between the middle 

 and the extremities ; whilst the latter remained green the 

 middle became paler in colour, but afterwards more confused 

 with markings ; in fact, at last one could make out through 

 the walls of the egg a little head with two black eyes. From 

 two of these eggs young larvae were developed in ray room ; 

 they crept about half-way out of the shell, but were not able 

 to liberate the whole of the body. It appeared to me very 

 singular that one of these half-born larvae began to feed, and, 

 considering the size of its body, managed to eat a pretty 

 large hole out of the leaf. However, they both soon died ; 

 probably in consequence of the very abnormal condition in 

 which they were. 



A^o^e.— It is possible that this species may be the 

 undescribed Nematus cylindricus of Dr. Th. Hartig (see 

 Entoni. Zeitung., vol. ii. p. 24, No. 39). 



Are the Colours of Lepidoptera ifijluenced hij Electricity ? 

 By J. Jenner Weir, Esq., F.L.S. 



The following history of an attempt to produce varieties 

 of Chelonia caja, by feeding the larvae upon other than the 

 natural food-plants, is translated from No. 154 of the 'Petiles 

 Nouvelles Entomologiques:' — 



" Chelonia caja may well be considered injurious. In the 

 Gatinaif), where the vine is much cultivated, C. caja is found 

 almost exclusively in the vine districts. It usually feeds on 

 dandelion, groundsel, milfoil, and other low plants which 

 grow in the furrows; but in a dry spring, when the grass fails, 

 and the peasants take all they can find for their cattle, the 

 caterpillars remorsely devour the buds and young shoots of 

 the vine. The vine dressers are well acquainted with the 

 caterpillar, and the mischief it does in some years is really 

 serious, for it is so common that a couple of hundred may 

 easily be collected in an hour. 



