THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 28^ 



I have twenty pupae of fifty species, and I find that in thirty- 

 five instances a female or females emerge first, I think it is 

 at least a legitimate inference that, though in captivity, a 

 similar result would follow in a state of nature, unless the 

 contrary can be proved. Of course, as I have hinted, the 

 argument cuts both ways : if there were a majority of males, 

 &c. We have as yet, unfortunately, very few statistics to 

 build upon. Mr. Birchall gives the results of five broods. 

 In four the female emerged first. In my own case, out of 

 fourteen the females appeared first in ten instances. I shall 

 feel really glad if, during the coming season, your readers 

 will carefully examine this question, and communicate the 

 results through the 'Entomologist.' If nothing else, it will 

 be an amusement, and that is something. Before I conclude 

 I may refer to Sterrha Sacraria (Entom. iii. 9). In this in- 

 stance there were six pupae, which produced four females and 

 two males. All the females eraerged^/'s/. This example is 

 the more interesting to me, and the more corroborative of 

 my opinion, as I have reason to know that my friend Mr. 

 Hellins breeds his insects out-of-doors. Mi*. Gascoyne gives 

 (Entom. iii. 10) the dates of the appearance, in the perfect 

 state, of a quantity of Ptilophora plumigera. In this instance, 

 hovvever, males and females seem to have emerged simul- 

 taneously. — (Rev.) J. Greene ; Cubleij Rectory, Ultoxeter, 

 Slafforclshire. 



Wholesale Slav ghter of Collas Edusa. — May I protest 

 against the wholesale slaughter of this beautiful butterfly, 

 recorded in No. 23 (Entom. ii. 338) ? We are there 

 told that 935 specimens were taken within a certain time. 

 Mr. Clogg, who communicates the fact, seems to think that 

 it " may be of interest to your readers" ! Nay, so confident 

 is he of this, that in No. 24 (Entom. iii. 1) he takes pains to 

 assure us that he had unfortunately understated the number, 

 which should have been 972, not 935 ! I trust I do but ex- 

 press the fellow-feeling of the vast majority of your readers 

 when I say that such "facts" only excite my disgust. I 

 take it that this " interesting fact" may be regarded as an 

 advertisement, and should therefore be charged as such. I 

 hope, for my part, that the pages of the ' Entomologist' will, 

 in future, be closed against such announcements. — Id. 



[I entirely agree with Mr. Greene in condemning the 



