THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 335 



Second moult from May 18th to May 24th 

 Third moult from June 2nd to June 9th 

 Fourth moult from June 13th to June 20th 

 Spun cocoons from July 3rd to July 13th. 



It would be interesting to know the mode of treatment 

 this larva during the present summer by others in this 

 country. 



George Gascoyne. 



Newark, August, 1867. 



P.S. — As my remarks on the larva of the Yaraa-mai (silk- 

 worm) have not appeared in the September issue of the 

 ' Entomologist,' it gives the opportunity of adding the final 

 result of this experiment. 



Since I last wrote the twelve cocoons have produced the 

 same number of the perfect insect, namely, six males and six 

 females ; the first emerged on August 20th, the last on the 

 30th; ten appeared between six o'clock and half- past seven 

 in the evening ; the two others at half-past four and eleven P.M. 

 respectively. Coition took place in four instances, and the 

 produce has been 300 fertilized eggs, only about half the 

 moths possessed : this limited supply I attribute to the con- 

 fined space allotted to them, as I have found, in former expe- 

 riments with large Lepidoptera, that they will not freely part 

 with their eggs without the opportunity of an occasional 

 flight during the process. The whole of the moths were 

 fully developed, and expanded themselves perfectly. The 

 ground-colouring varies much in the different individuals ; in 

 four it is yellow, five fawn or salmon, and the remaining 

 three dun. These colours are borne indifferently by males 

 and females. The expansion of the largest is six and three- 

 quarters and the smallest five and a half inches, the males 

 being as a rule the largest, and the tips of their fore wings 

 more hooked than those of the females : the autennaB of the 

 males are much pectinated, i-emiuding one of those of the 

 British moth, Ptilophora plumigera. 



G. Gascoyne. 



September 6, 1867. 



