act that the truth can be fully appreciated. Last year I 

 witnessed a very interesting sight, the large Tortoishell 

 (Vanessa Polychloros) was depositing her eggs upon a small 

 branch of elm ; before laying an egg she hovered for a 

 short time over the spot, then stooped, laid her egg, and 

 glided off, returning again and again for the same purpose. 

 The sight was so interesting that 1 called to my family close 

 by to come and see it. Before they arrived a sand martin, 

 flying past, came so close to her as to frighten her away. 

 Having waited a short time without again seeing her, I 

 approached the branch and cut it off; just then the insect 

 returned, and also my party bad come to my call ; we 

 watched with deep interest the maternal solicitude of the 

 poor insect. She no longer hovered with gently vibrating 

 wing, but dashed about in a most excited state, seeking the 

 spot where her little treasures had been deposited ; having 

 waited some time, I replaced the branch on the tree ; she 

 immediately returned to it with most apparent joy and de- 

 posited a fresh supply of eggs. When we consider that the 

 parent dies almost immediately after laying her eggs, we are 

 lost in wonder and amazement at the power instilled into 

 these little beings that should lead them to seek those spots 

 only where, when the genial warmth of the sun matures 

 the eggs, and the young larvee escape, they can at once find 

 food that is suitable to their new state of existence. Cater- 

 pillars generally feed upon one kind of food, any other is 

 injurious, and consequently they frequently die from 

 starvation rather than feed upon that which is not suited 

 to their species. In depositing the eggs frequently muck 

 care is bestowed to conceal them ; they are laid in deep 

 cracks, under the ledges of bark, or beneath the leaf, or 

 those which have to seek their food at the roots of plants 

 are deposited on the ground. These eggs are laid by 

 means of an instrument called an ovipositor ; it is a long 

 flexible tube, apparently endowed with great sensitiveness. 

 When the insect is observed to lay her eggs, in many cases 

 this instrument is thrust out to a very great length ; she 

 then touches all around her as far as it will reach, passing 



