THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XIV.] JUNE, 1881. [No. 217. 



ON SILK-PRODUCING BOMBYCES. 



By Alfred Wailly. 

 (Membre-Laureat de la Society d'Acclimatatiou de France. 



During the year 1880 the cold weather, which lasted till 

 ahout the end of July, affected, as it did in 1879, most exotic 

 Lepidoptera, and prevented the reproduction of several species. 

 Ova obtained at a low temperature, even when the pairings of the 

 moths have been of long duration, are partly and sometimes 

 totally unfertile. No pairings could be obtained of Attacus 

 Mylitta, A. Aurota, Samia Gloveri, Actias Selene, and some other 

 species. However, the splendid weather we had during the 

 month of August and part of September would have allowed of 

 the successful rearing in the open air of the species obtained, had 

 I been able to protect them from the sparrows. I had on trees 

 in my garden Attacus Pyri, A. Pernyi, Samia Cecropia, S. Pro- 

 methea, S. Cynthia, Telea Polyphemus, and Actias Luna. All these 

 thrived splendidly. Cynthia (as usual) and Promethea, a very 

 closely allied species, were not touched by the birds, but all the 

 others were destroyed when in third or fourth stage, in all about 

 400 larvse. 



My greatest success, I ought rather to say my only success, 

 was with Actias Luna, of which species I obtained twelve or 

 thirteen pairings with the cocoons I had received from America. 

 With about one hundred larvae I obtained more than eighty 

 cocoons. The larvae were reared on walnut in large cages, and 

 even under glasses, which shows that the species is easy to rear. 

 The larva of A. Luna differs considerably from that of A. Selene 

 in the first two stages. A. Selene in first stage is of a dark red- 

 dish colour, with a broad black band in the middle of the body ; 



