132 



PSYCHE. 



[Augu • t 1801. 



and well deserves a visit. In addition to the 

 silk-moths that are usually present during 

 the warm weather, the Papilioninae, or 

 swallow-tail butterflies, afford at the present 

 time the chief display. The perfect insects of 

 several species of the. genus Papilio have 

 appeared — P. crespkontes, a/ax, and asterias 

 from North America, P. alexanor from the 

 Mediterranean shores, and the handsome P. 

 maackii from Japan. The last named has 

 been seen for the first time in the house this 

 year, and offers a striking contrast to the 

 other species of the genus that have pre- 

 viously been exhibited in the Gardens, it 

 being of black and golden-green colours in- 

 stead of the yellows and blacks that we are 

 accustomed to in our European swallow- 

 tails. P. cresphotites has appeared in large 

 numbers in the house, but no varieties have 

 been obtained. This also is the first season 

 for two other beautiful Papilioninae, viz. 

 Doritis apollina from Asia Minor, and the 

 Japanese Sericina telamon. The latter 

 shows considerable difference in the mark- 

 ings of the sexes. The North American 

 Limenitis disippus can be at present seen in 

 all its stages, and is well worthy of atten- 

 tion, the caterpillar moving along the leaf- 

 stalks with a peculiar interrupted gait. Of 

 the sphinx moths, the south European Deile- 

 phila alecto has already appeared, and D. 

 nicae is expected. These insects are, how- 

 ever, not seen to advantage in confinement, 

 as their superb powers of flight cannot be 

 displayed in a small compartment. Two 

 examples of the Orthoptera are alive in the 

 house — Diapheromera fe7norata, one of the 

 stick- or twig-insects from North America, 

 and Empusa egcna from southern Europe. 

 The former has been reared from eggs laid 

 in the insect-house, but these progeny are 

 not so healthy as those obtained from fresh- 

 ly-imported eggs. The Empusa is of a most 

 bizarre form, and belongs to the family Man- 

 tidae, the species of which feed only on liv- 

 ing creatures. The public is indebted to Mr. 

 S. H. Carver for the opportunity of seeing 



living scorpions; he has sent examples of 

 two species of this group from Egypt, both 

 of which unfortunately are unidentified, 

 there being obvious difficulties in the way of 

 carrying about live scorpions and comparing 

 them with dried specimens. There is a 

 third scorpion, from south Europe, living 

 with its Egyptian congeners; it has a small 

 delicate tail, and is altogether a less frightful 

 creature, though assuming a menacing atti- 

 tude with equal readiness. A spider, Lycosa 

 portosantana, from Madeira, is healthy, and 

 is a fine creature, though insignificant by the 

 side of its neighbour, a huge Mygale from 

 South America. The latter, as well as the 

 scorpions, is fed with mice, which are given 

 to it dead, though in its native haunts a 

 Mygale has been known to prey on living 

 individuals of these small mammals." 



Recent Entomological Literature. 



The first number of the 18th volume of the 

 Transactions of the American entomological 

 society contains convenient analytical tables 

 to the genera of Coccidae by Ashmead, as well 

 as a catalogue of the described South Ameri- 

 can Asilidae by Williston ; one is rather sur- 

 prised to see Dasypogon figuring in three 

 different, places. A monograph of the spe- 

 cies of Cryptohypnus found in boreal Amer- 

 ica bv Horn will be welcomed by the coleop- 

 terist; it includes thirty species and they 

 are divided into nine groups containing from 

 one to seven species each. Other papers are 

 less important. If the society would print a 

 table of contents to each number on the va- 

 cant fourth page of the cover it would be 

 very welcome, especially as the head-lines of 

 the pages are not very distinctive. 



The issue of Insect life for June is a 

 double one and therefore makes even a 

 better showing than usual. This journal has 

 now certainly justified its publication, though 

 grave doubts have been expressed as to the 

 province of the government in the issue of a 

 periodical, and it may still be questioned 



