NOTKS, CAPTURES, ETC. 163 



which they feed, have been prepared and mounted by Lord 

 Walsingham himself; tlie process adopted having been inflation 

 of the empty skin of the caterpillar by means of a glass-tube and 

 India-rubber spray-blower over a spirit-lamp guarded by wire 

 gauze. This has been found a simpler and quicker process, 

 and one admitting of more satisfactory manipulation, than the 

 alternative system of baking by means of heated metal plates or 

 ovens. The specimens have mostly retained their natural colour ; 

 but in the case of the bright green species it has been found 

 necessary to introduce a little artificial dry pigment. The whole 

 collection consists of 2540 specimens of larv£e, belonging to 776 

 species, together with a series of the perfect insects of each 

 species. As continued exposure to light is, unfortunately, most 

 detrimental to the colours of insects, this exhibition cannot be 

 exhibited permanently ; but, for the advantage of those who 

 would like to see it without any restriction, it will be placed in 

 the entrance -hall of the Museum for a period of six weeks, from 

 May 16th to June 35th, so as to include the Whitsuntide holidays 

 and the Jubilee week. 



There are altogether ninetj^-six cases, about seventy containing 

 the British collection, which is a most interesting one, both as 

 regards imagos and larvae. There are ten imagos of the extinct 

 Noetua suhrosea. Amongst the larvae will be found eight of Nola 

 confusalis from the New Forest, and two of N. singula ; in the 

 Sesiidse there is the rare larva of the alder-feeding S. spJiegi- 

 formis ; the Bombyces are remarkably well represented and very 

 attractive, with the numerous specimens of their robust larvae. 

 There are six imagos and eight larvae of Pygara anachoreta from 

 Sparham, Norfolk, taken by Mr. F. Norgate in 1880. Amongst 

 the Noctuae there is much to interest, especially in a relative 

 comparison of the much-alike larvae of Leucania, Agrotis, Noetua, 

 Tceniocampa, CuculUa, &c. There are three larvae of Acronycta 

 strigosa, one of Acosmetia caliginosa, eight of Agrotis ashicorthii, 

 five from Mr. Meek and three from Mrs. Hutchinson. The 

 Dianthaeciae are very interesting and pretty ; there are tlu'ee 

 hirvae of D. ccesia and seven of D. irregularis ; Folia xanthomista is 

 represented by three larvae. Amongst Hadena there are three larvae 

 of H. glauca from Mr. Prest. There is a beautiful specimen of 

 the beautiful larva of Calocampa exoleta, wliich is almost rivalled 

 b}' the two CuculUa chamomilUe ; there are four Anarta melanopa 



