80 ' THE! ENTOMOLOGIST. 
Meanwhile, in the spring of 1878, two hundred cocoons were 
imported from Bangalore, in South India, by Mr. Wm. Watkins 
of 86, Strand. Of these, fifty were purchased by Mr. Wailly, but 
the majority of the importation were (as I learn from Mr. Watkins), 
allowed to emerge* in order to procure a stock of ova, which 
afterwards he largely distributed. 
Of these cocoons, two came into my possession, one from 
M. Wailly, on the 5th of May, the other from Mr, Watkins, a 
month later. The latter was the first to emerge. 
Early in the morning of July 26th, I had the pleasure of 
seeing, hanging within the glass door of my cocoon-cage, a male 
of great beauty, and in high perfection. It differs much in form 
and colours from my old China specimen. It is very dark and 
rich in hues,t one-windowed; apparently the var. » of the Catal. . 
Lepidopt. Br. Mus.; Heterocera, p. 1219. 
* «So successful was I that I had only four bad cocoons, and not one cripple. 
I found, however, that, unlike most Satwrniade, they were not. easily paired: in 
several instances, the sexes, though placed together when freshly evolved, refused to 
copulate. Some indeed did, for a few hours: others were united for twenty-four 
hours: yet from these I procured no fertile eggs. The only eggs that hatched were 
females that had been in copula for forty-eight hours.” (Mr. Watkins in litt.) 
+ This specimen is quite worthy to be compared for beauty with that one 
described and figured by Mr. Adam White, as a distinct species, by the name of 
Att. Edwardsii. I know it, indeed, only by the diagnosis, description, and figure in 
the Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859, p. 115, pl. Annul. lvii.); the author has omitted to say 
where any type-specimen is preserved. The chief points of difference between mine 
and this species (?) are the following: the fenestre have the longest angle pointing, 
in mine, towards the base, in Hdw. towards the point, of the wings: they are 
margined with yellow in Hdw., of which, in mine, there is no trace. The white 
bands are wider: the black hue in the central region is wider, the luteous chains of 
the edges are more conspicuous, in Hdw.; and the lovely roseate flush at the tip of 
the fore-wings, appears lacking. There is no reference to more than a single 
original; to constitute a species from one specimen, on variations such as these, is 
very hazardous, especially when the recognised species is one subject to so much 
variety. On the whole, I cannot but look upon Attacus Hdwardsii, until further 
evidence appear, as a more than doubtful species. 
It is right to mention, however, that avery high authority is of a different opinion. 
Since this note was in type, Mr. F. Moore, of the India Museum, writes me as follows ;— 
“The Att. Edwardsiti is undoubtedly a distinct species; .... We have two specimens, 
male and female, in our Cabinet, from Darjiling. Specimens are also in the British 
Museum, which are referred toin Walker’s Catalogue, Suppl. p. 524. The larva is 
unknown to me.” As Darjiling is 7000 feet above the sea, and has a climate in 
which raia and snow are abundant in winter, and humidity is constant, it surely 
would not be difficult to acclimatise this noble form (be it variety or species) in the 
British Isles. And I cannot but hope that soon living cocoons may be collected by 
some of the residents there, and transmitted to us. 
