THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 11 



pupa state to enable me to confirm my previous impressions, 

 and to record the following results. I may remark that the 

 state of the weather did not ajjpear to affect the emergence, 

 as one batch appeared on a dull foggy day, with low thermo- 

 meter and barometer ; another during bright sunny weather, 

 with the glass high. The following statement shows that in 

 no instance did any come out singly. I have long suspected 

 that some influence or condition is in operation with which 

 we are unacquainted. Can any of your readers throw light 

 on a point so interesting ? The dates and numbers run 

 thus : — 



October 23rd .... 3 emerged, viz., 2 males, 1 female. 



November 4th .... 6 „ ) t? i u r^i, 



, . , _ " I iiqual numbers of the 



15th Z 21 ," J ^^^^^• 

 „ 18th .... 3 „ 2 males, 1 female. 



I will take this opportunity of replying to assertions, from 

 time to time made in the various entomological journals, that 

 it is necessary for the perfect development of the imago that 

 pupae of the burying larvae be kept moist. I believe this is 

 quite unimportant. The plumigera above referred to buried 

 in a dry sandy soil, and after a fortnight or three weeks were 

 removed, and laid on a perfectly dry surface, with a little 

 moss thrown over them. In this state they were subject to 

 a high temperature during the latter part of summer and 

 autumn, without any moisture whatever ; yet of the forty 

 which emerged there was only one " cripple," and she, I 

 believe, became so from getting entangled in a small web 

 before the wings were expanded. In other respects she was 

 quite vigorous, and found a mate as readily as did her more 

 comely companions. — George Gascoyne. 



Vygcsra hucephala feeding on the Cork-tree. — Last winter 

 1 was very much surprised to see several branches of cork 

 oak-trees (Quercus Suber), in a plantation not far from here, 

 stripped of their leaves. Being then too late to detect the 

 depredator, 1 fully made up my mind to keep an eye on the 

 trees this summer : this I did, and in September last I saw 

 several colonies of the larvae of this moth feeding on the 

 young branches of the said trees, by no means improving 

 their appearance. This is quite a new food-plant to me for 

 this species: perhaps some of your correspondents may have 



