Cpxxvir ) 
producing Lepidoptera, and read the following notes on the 
subject :— 
“On the 1st of February, 1893, I sent to my correspondent 
in San Fernando, Trinidad, live cocoons of silk-producing 
Lepidoptera, for the purpose of trying their rearing in that 
tropical island. Quantities of A. cynthia cocoons besides were 
sent to four of the West India islands through the medium of 
the Sub-Director of Kew Gardens. The worms were to be 
bred on the castor-oil plant, Ricinus communis. 
‘The result of the various rearings in Trinidad has so far 
been most satisfactory, the Cynthia worms having reached 
their last stage in the middle of May. By next mail I expect 
a statement of the final result respecting the rearing of cynthia 
and promethea. But the most extraordinary success has been 
that of the rearing of the oak silkworm, A. pernyi. There 
was no difficulty about the food-plant for 4. cynthia (the 
Ailanthus silkworm), as it was known that it could feed on the 
Ricinus ; but what substitute could be found for oak? I had 
sent to my correspondent only nine cocoons of A. pernyi, 
thinking that this species could not be reared in Trinidad for 
want of its natural food ; but great was my surprise, great 
was my joy, to hear, from most interesting letters received 
from my correspondent, of the wonderful progress of this most 
valuable silkworm. 
“The pernyi moths emerged from the 26th of February 
(when two pairs were found) to the 28th. In two days all 
the nine moths had emerged, and five pairings were obtained. 
On the 8th of March larve hatched from eggs laid on the 
27th February. Various kinds of foliage were offered to the 
larve without success, but on the 2nd of April my corre- 
spondent wrote as follows :—‘In my last letter to you I 
expressed my regret that I was unable to find any substitute 
for the oak to feed my pernyi larve on; however, I am 
happy to inform you that the next day, after posting my 
letter to you, on looking into one of my cages in which 
I had put about fifty larve, I found, much to my delight, 
that on a branch of Terminalia latifolia there were a 
lot of them feeding with great voracity. Every day since 
then they have made rapid progress, the food-plant being 
F 2 
