THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 55 



that Ibis does not bold good witb tbe butterflies. I agree 

 also with him in ihinliing that among them the male gene- 

 rally en)erges first, as in Anlhocharis Cardamines ; 'and that 

 therefore niy theory fails, so far as they are concerned. I 

 may say, however, that thai theory, riglit or wrong, was in- 

 tended to apply to moths, and not to bulterllies. In regard to 

 some other parts of Mr. Doubleday's cominnnication, I think 

 betakes loo much i'ov (/raufed. He expresses his opinion 

 " thai the evidence afforded on this question by insects in 

 captivity is of little or no value." How, tvif/iout this evi- 

 dence, does Mr. Doubleday prove that " the female soon 

 ceases to be attractive to the male ;" that " the females of 

 this family are very short-lived, and are never so attractive to 

 the males as they are on the day on which they emerge ;" 

 that " a virgin female of Bombyx Qiiercus seldom lives a 

 week, and generally ceases to be attractive to the males in 

 three or four days " ? Even admitting all this to be true, I 

 must dispute the conclusion drawn therefrom, viz., that if my 

 theory were correct hundreds of females nuist annually die 

 unimpregnated. Why so ? Mr. Doubleday admits that a 

 female Quercus is attractive for three or <our days. Surely, 

 then (on his own showing that pairing lakes place as soon as 

 possible), during this period plenty of males may have 

 emerged, and the expectant female need not be left without 

 a mate ? Had I indeed expressed an opinion that ihe fe- 

 males emerged a week or ten daj-s before the males, then 

 supposing the former to be so short-lived, the argument 

 would have some force. But I never ventured to propose 

 any limit. I merely suggested that the females emerged 

 Jirst. But I object, farther, to the stalemenl that the females 

 are so short-lived. All my observation goes to show that 

 the female is longer lived than the male. This can easily be 

 tested by placing a male and female of the same species in 

 separate boxes, and seeing which is the survivor. Should 

 the latter survive, it may be said that she does so only be- 

 cause she has had no opportunity of pairing. Precisely. And 

 if this be so in a stale of captivity, why not in a state of na- 

 ture ? That is, if ihe. females, in a slate of nature, do fre- 

 quently emerge a day or tv;o, or even more, before the males, 

 why may their life not be sustained until the lalter are ready 

 for them ? Again, I think that the assertion, as to the females 



