99 



be proper to speak of only three broods, the produce of a portion 

 of the last of which is prematurely developed, and then gives 

 birth to a mixed progeny, cold effecting the change to P. marcia 

 at both the beginning and end of the season. A curious fact 

 was elicited by Mr. Edwards' experiments, viz. : that cater- 

 pillars maturing in one season moult only four times, while those 

 hibernating moult three times before winter, and twice after- 

 wards. 



Mr. Edwards gives us also the history of an allied form, Phy- 

 ciodes harrisii. T also traced the complete history of this insect 

 ten years ago, and my unpublished observations agree almost 

 entirely with those of Mr. Edwards. The eggs are laid In 

 masses, on Diplopappus, and the larvjB feed in company. Mr. 

 Edwards reared them in confinement, and " no Aveb at any stage 

 was spun for protection or other purpose"; in nature, however, 

 a close web, resembling that of Euphydryas phaeton^ is made, 

 but is deserted on the approach of winter, when the caterpillars 

 hibernate, doubtless under sticks and stones in the vicinity of 

 their feeding spots. Mr. Edwards describes every stage of the 

 insect previous to the imago. 



He has also given us some scattered facts and experiments 

 upon several species of Brenthis and Argynnis, supplementary 

 to those he has previously published. 



A fourth species of butterfly whose history we owe to the 

 same investigator is Satyrus nephele. Descriptions of all the 

 early stages are given ; the eggs are laid on the stems and blades 

 of grass, but, in confinement at least, many are dropped loosely 

 on the ground. The eggs hatch late, and the young larvaa 

 hibernate without feeding, as is generally the case in this sub- 

 family. The larvae mature slowly, only one brood being pro- 

 duced annually, and that late in the season. 



Mr. C. V. Riley has given us two or three fine histories of 

 unusual interest. The first is a complete life-history of another 

 of the genera of Meloidae, only that of Meloe and Sitaris 

 having been known hitherto — genera remarkable for their 

 habits and extraordinary metamorphoses. More recently, Licht- 

 enstein has shown a similar hypermetamorphosis in Cantharis. 

 All these three genera undergo parallel changes; they first 



