January— March 1SS5.] 



PSYCHE. 



267 



I have already reported to you upon the 

 oriental mania for opium. But the opium 

 •which is produced for the western countries 

 and for China is very little in comparison 

 with the domestic consumption. In the dis- 

 tricts around Erzeroum, around Kerchasund 

 and farther into the Persian districts are to 

 be found colossal plantations, whose product 

 is almost exclusively used where produced. 



In all probability it is the nectar of these 

 poppy plants which gives the honey in those 

 regions its toxic qualities. 



Tills honey is used as a soporific for children 

 and is employed also against various aftec- 

 tions, especially such as arise from improper 

 food — sour milk, badly cooked rice, goat's 

 milk, etc. — as for instance colic, and often is of 

 aid where symptoms of death have already 

 .appeared. 



Tlie opium which is collected from the 

 poppy plants in those regions contains usual- 

 ly 12 percent, and rarely less than lo per cent, 

 of morphium. I had an opportunity to see 

 such opium in the possession of a Persian 

 merchant. It consisted of round balls of a 

 few drachms weight which were wrapped in 

 goldleaf. This is the kind which is used 

 principall}" for smoking and chewing. 



Pupal retreat of Charagia vires- 

 CENS. — Mr. G : Vernon Hudson, in an article 

 in the Entomologist for February 1885, en- 

 titled "Life-history of Chaiagia Tirescem" 

 gives some interesting observations in regard 

 to the habits of this bombycid from New 

 Zealand. The larva bores in the wood of 

 living trees, often in that of Aristotelia ra- 

 cemosa (New Zealand currant), Olea apetala 

 (black maize) and Leftospermnm (manuka). 

 When ready to pupate the larva constructs a 

 complicate tunnel, described as follows. "It 

 consists of a spacious, irregular, but shallow, 

 cavity just under the bark, having a large 

 opening to the air, which is entirely closed 

 with a thin silken covering almost exactly 

 (he same shape and size as the numerous 

 scars which occur at intervals up the trunks 

 of nearly all the trees. Three large tunnels 



open into this shallow cavity; one in the 

 centre, which runs into the middle of the 

 stem ; and one on each side, which run right 

 and left just under the bark. These are 

 usually very short, but sometimes extend 

 half-way round the tree, and occasionally 

 even join one another on the opposite side. 

 The central tunnel has a slightly upward 

 direction for a short distance inwards, which 

 effectually prevents it from becoming flooded 

 with water; afterwards it pursues an almost 

 horizontal course until it reaches the centre 

 of the tree, when it appears to suddenly 

 terminate. This, however, is not the case, 

 for, if the gallery floor is carefully examined 

 a short distance before its apparent termina- 

 tion, a round trap-door will be found com- 

 pactly constructed of very hard, smooth silk, 

 corresponding with the surrounding portion 

 of the tunnel so exactly that it almostescapes 

 detection. When this lid is removed a long 

 perpendicular shaft is disclosed, which runs 

 down the middle of the tree to a depth of 

 fourteen or sixteen inches [35-40 cm.], 

 and is about six lines [13 mm.] in di- 

 ameter; at the bottom of this the elongate 

 vircsccns pupa sleeps quietly and securely 

 in an upright position, the old larval skin 

 forming a soft support for the terminal seg- 

 ment of the pupa to rest on. The upper 

 end of this vertical shaft is lined with silk, 

 which forms a framework on which the trap- 

 door rests when it is closed : the lid itself, 

 being of a larger size than the orifice, which 

 it covers, causes it to be extremely difficult, 

 if not impossible, to open it from the ex- 

 terior, especially when it fits down very 

 closely, which is nearly always the case as 

 long as the insect remains in its burrow. The 

 object of this most ingenious contrivance is in 

 all probability, to prevent the ingress of 

 insects; blattae, slugs, spiders, and imma- 

 ture 'wetas' {Hcmidciiia) are frequently 

 found in both central and lateral tunnels, 

 but they are quite unable to pass the trap- 

 door, and are most likelj' entirely ignorant 

 of the existence of the vertical burrow." 



