( Ix ) 



Professor E. B. Poulton, F.K.S., enquired as to the means 

 by which the young larvie were brought through the winter. 



The method employed was somewhat complicated, and Mr. 

 New.man subsequently prepared the following account which, 

 it is believed, will be of service to Fellows of the Society and 

 other naturalists who desire to test the application of Mendel's 

 Law to forms with hybernating larvns, such as the valezina var. 

 of the female D. paphia. 



Hints as to the Egg-laying and Hybernation op Larv,e 

 OF D. Paphia. — The female butterflies are confined in cheese- 

 tubs : in each of these I place a spray of flowers which is 

 kept sprinkled with honey and water made into a syrup. 

 Eound the inside of the tubs are pieces of rough bark, and 

 over the top mosquito netting. In nature the females of 

 paphia often lay their eggs on the bark of trees ; for the 

 young larvje hybernate without feeding in the autumn and 

 consequently at once require a safe and dr!/ place in which to 

 pass the winter. In captivity the females lay freely on the 

 bark I place in the tubs and on the mosquito netting. The 

 eggs change colour quickly, and the young larva? hatch in 

 about fourteen days. Just before the larvae hatch, I take the 

 bark out of the tubs and place it in large glass-topped metal 

 boxes which I have specially made for the purpose. On the 

 top of the bark I place a layer of fine " wood wool," such as 

 is used for packing. ]\Iany of the young larva? crawl into the 

 crevices of the bark, while others affix themselves to the 

 " wood wool." The eggs laid on the mosquito netting are 

 treated in the same manner, the netting being lightly rolled 

 up and placed in the bottom of the glass-topped boxes and 

 wood wool over it. The metal boxes are then stored away on 

 the stone floor of a cold greenhouse till the spring. As a rule 

 the larvsfi are on the move about mid-February : I then remove 

 the lids and stand the boxes on their sides in huge cages, 

 14 to 20 ft. long and 4 to 8 ft. broad, planted with growing 

 violets. When the larvae require food they crawl out of their 

 winter home, and at once find food close at hand. The metal 

 boxes should be as large as possible. Those I am now using 

 are 6 in. deep and 12 in. in circumference, and I wish they 

 were four times as large. This year T am employing large 



