( xxvii ) 



in confinement, grow very quicldy, not infrequently distending 

 tliemselves so much that they die of repletion. Only a few go 

 down into the soil to change to pupae ; these do not mal\e a 

 cocoon, but, like many other Geometrina, simply spin a few 

 lines of sillt connecting the loose earth surrounding them ; the 

 remainder turn to pupse on the surface without any covering. 



" An extraordinary circumstance attending the pupation is that 

 all the markings of the perfect insect are distinctly visible througli 

 the pupa-shell, in at least 75 per cent., from four to six months 

 before the imagines appear. This peculiarity has been noticed in 

 three successive years, so that it cannot be said to be an isolated 

 occurrence. 



" Forcing specimens prematurely to emerge by means of a warm 

 atmosphere, although adopted with many species with success, is 

 to be deprecated with this moth. By trying this mode one season 

 we lost all the insects by the pupse contracting and drying up, 

 although the earth continued moist ; whilst another year it caused 

 the chrysahds to stand over to the succeeding, or rather second, 

 spring, with, of course, a proportionate loss of vitality. Notwith- 

 standing, they may be successfully coaxed forward about a month 

 earlier than their usual appearance out of doors. 



" Statistics of results of brcediuf/, and summurij. 



" A very small proportion of these specimens emerged in the 

 autumn and winter months, viz., one about Oct. 31st from cage 

 No. 6, one on Nov. 13th from No. 2, two on Dec. 20th from 

 Nos. 1 and 7. Of these but one resembled its parent, viz., 

 No. 6 ; the others were purely normal. 



" Every specimen bred in 1886 was pinned, with the exception 

 of a few cripples of Nos. 1, 2, and 6. 



" The earliest, or we may call them untimely, instances were 

 bred on Jan. 14th : two specimens from cages 4 and 7, one from 

 cage 2 (a cripple) on the 26th, one from cage 1 on Feb. 1st, one 

 from cage 2 on the 14th, and one on the 15th, on which date also 

 appeared one from cage 1, and the following day one from cage 7. 

 These arrivals seeming to suggest that a little warmth would 

 bring the remainder forward, they were removed from a northern 

 into a southern aspect, and a fortnight afterwards the moths began 

 to come out freely, excepting when the wind was N. or N.E., 

 when, however warm the room might be kept, they continued 



