SILK-PRODUCING AMD OTHER EXOTIC BOMBYCES. 245 



There is no striking likeness to the plump downy caterpillar 

 of Pygcera hucejjkala. Save for the sparsely scattered hairs the 

 surface, carefully examined with a powerful lens (in spirit), 

 appears perfectly smooth. 



Sandhurst, Torquay, October, 1881. 



ON SILK-PRODUCING AND OTHER EXOTIC BOMBYCES 

 REARED IN LONDON IN 1881. 



By Alfred Wailly. 

 (Membre-Laureat de la Societe d'Acclimatation de France.) 



Again I have to complain of the weather. During the month 

 of July, when the weather was magnificent, I had the largest 

 number of larvae I ever possessed : the trees in my garden 

 were literally covered with them, and I had others on branches 

 with stems in water. At the end of July larvae of several species 

 had nearly reached their last stage, and I expected a fine crop of 

 cocoons. Then came August, with its tremendously heavy, incessant 

 and cold rains, which lasted for several weeks, and destroyed all 

 the good work done by June and July. Very few larvse could 

 resist the atrocious weather of August, 1881. 



For the first time I reared Actias Selene, from India, in the 

 open air on a nut tree, till the larvae reached their last stage. On 

 the same nut tree were reared larvae of Telea Polyj^hemus, Samia 

 Cecropia, from America, and hybrids obtained by the crossing of 

 S. Gloveri (female) with S. Cecropia (male), and Cecropia (female) 

 with Gloveri (male). 



Samia Gloveri, from Utah, was reared during the first four 

 stages in the open air on a wild plum tree ; then on branches of 

 Salix caprea. Several other species were reared in the open air, 

 of which I shall mention Attacus Atlas, which I reared, or rather 

 attempted to rear, on the Ailanthus, but the bad weather compelled 

 me to remove the few remaining larvae from the tree about the 

 first week in September, when they had just reached the third 

 stage. 



The larvae of Samia Cecropia, S. Gloveri and S. ceanothi are 

 very much alike, and hardly any difference can be observed in the 

 first two stages. In the third and fourth stages the larvae of 

 S. ceanothi and S. Gloveri are also nearly alike, the principal 



