NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 67 



The Rhopalocera of Birmingham and District. — With reference 

 to my note on the above (ante, p. 42), I find that I have accidentally 

 omitted Vanessa c-album from that list. It is generally distributed, 

 and was much more frequent than at present. The examples tbat I 

 have taken are chiefly of the pale form. It is sometimes seen in 

 suburban gardens. — Augustus D. Imms ; "Linthurst," Oxford Road, 

 Moseley, February 4th, 1898. 



Sphinx convolvuli Larv.e in Winter Confinement. — The larvae 

 referred to were hatched from a batch of thirty eggs deposited by a 

 moth on Sept. 14th, 1897, which I recorded (Entom. xxx. p. 270). 

 It being late in the year, it was necessary to retard the hatching of 

 these ova if possible, so they were placed away in a cold room. Seven 

 days later (Sept. 21st), on looking into the box, it was found that 

 thirteen larvae had already emerged ; they were then about three- 

 sixteenths of an inch long. Convolvulus aroensis was supplied to the 

 larvae, which they readily ate. A peculiarity which I have not before 

 noticed was that they spun long webs over their food. On Oct. 14th 

 the first moult took place, and this resulted in the death of four. 

 They now resembled their congener S. ligustri ■■'■ in miniature, only 

 the stripes were very much paler. The second moult occurred on 

 Oct. 27th. The pale green was now replaced by a variegated brown, 

 culminating into black, the lateral markings being a creamy white, 

 the spiracles a light red, and each segment having a light yellow spot, 

 with the exception of the first, second, and last, which had them con- 

 current. The anal horn (previously black) now had a white streak on 

 each side. This change claimed three more, leaving only six living 

 larvae. Nov. 8th, third moult, followed by a day of inertia. Up to 

 this time the larvae had been feeding well on both G. aroensis and 

 C. soldanella, but there was much difficulty in procurmg these plants 

 now, as they were mostly over, so the local florist had orders to force 

 the seeds of both these bindweeds. A most trying time had come, 

 both to the breeder and larvae, as tbey now measured three and a 

 quarter inches, and of course required more food. I must not omit to 

 state, after this moult they varied much in colour; the usual brown 

 type was much darker, whilst one was a rich black, whereas several 

 might be considered like that depicted by Barrett. Eventually the 

 forced seedlings arrived, they (the larvae) having been without food for 

 nearly twenty-four hours. On placing their food before them, they 

 nibbled off the green leaves, never stopping until they had devoured 

 the juicy stalks to the root. G. aflinis they would not touch ; but, 

 strange to relate, endive, when offered them, they would instantly 

 clasp and devour. I tried this vegetable through mention being 

 made of it by Mr. Lucas in his book on the Sphingidae. The same 

 gentleman, in a letter to me (Sept. 22nd), rather despaired as to the 

 possibility of success in rearing this insect. December being more 

 unpropitious than the other months made the larvae (now full-grown) 

 more susceptible to its changes ; the result being that two more 



* Ligustri is not now regarded as congeneric with convolvuli. The former is 

 the type of Sphinx, Linn., and the latter of Protoparce, Burm. Kirby, however 

 (Cat. Lep. Het.), sinks Protoparce in Phlegethontius, Hiibn., of which he indicates 

 the type to be sexta, Joh.— En. 



