162 Mr. Poulton's notes in 1885 upon 



which cmcroGuce takes place. I believe that other 

 observers will agree with me in the observation (I speak 

 from memory of man}- years ago) that the moth softens 

 the cocoon before emergence by the chemical action of 

 some tlnid. If so, it will be extremely interesting to 

 investigate the nature of the fluid, and to ascertain the 

 part of the body from which it is poured out. As the 

 moth emerges head first, it would seem that the fluid 

 must come from the mouth, but it would be very curious 

 for the lluid to be poured out through the spiral maxilla>, 

 esjiecially in this species, where they are very im- 

 perfectly developed. 



13. Notes uroN the laev.\ of Paniscus cephalotes, 



PARASITIC UPON THE LARVA OF DiCRANUKA VINULA. 



Twice during the past summer (1885) I have noticed 

 black pedunculated eggs upon the larva of D. rinida 

 captured in the last stage. In one of the instances I 

 allowed the eggs to hatch, and watched the growth of 

 the parasitic larvae, taking the following notes. Through 

 the kindness of Mr. Fitch I was enabled to ascertain 

 that the larva) were those of Panisctis ccpJialotcs, which 

 commonly attacks this lepidopterous larva. Mr. Fitch 

 also gave me a number of references to the literature of 

 the subject, w'hich were of great assistance. I had 

 previousl}' ascertained that DeGeer had given a very 

 accurate and complete account of the parasite more 

 than a hundred years ago. Mr. Fitch has given an 

 account of the life-history with figures (see ' Entomo- 

 logist,' xvii., p. 124, and plate), and Newport has given 

 a long account of Paniscus tcstaccus, parasitic upon 

 Hadena pisi, with several figures (Linn. Soc. Trans., 

 pp. 71—77, 1852, pi. viii., figs. 13—19). The chief 

 points of interest have been previously recorded, but 

 there remain a few which demand notice. The larva I 

 observed had fourteen eggs firmly attached to its skin. 

 Of these two were implanted in the furrow between the 

 first and second abdominal segments, seven between the 

 second and third, and five between the third and fourth. 

 (The arrangement was ver}- similar in the other larva 

 from which I removed the eggs.) A few were attached 

 along the dorsal line in a nearly median position, but 

 by far the larger number were afiixed close to the 

 spiracular level, some being above and some below this 



