Ailanthiculiure. pp (i | 
then this plan will not do; but by plunging the leaf-stalk in water 
in bottles, or better still, by following the mode practised by Dr. 
Knaggs of rearing larvae on common plates, or the before-men- 
tioned wooden tops of the zine cylinders, which without damaging 
their use as covers may have holes cut in them so as to allow the 
leaf-stalks to be plunged through into a jam-pot full of water 
below, the loss of larvae will not be very great, provided they are 
kept in a cool moist place. The larve will not however grow 
quite so rapidly as when placed on the living tree and exposed 
to the sun-light and free circulation of ‘air. They do not evince 
any desire to stray from their food, and therefore do not require 
to be covered over, so Jong as the food is fresh, but they will soon 
leave it if it becomes dry. The earliest born seem to be the 
largest and grow most rapidly, while there are generally, even from 
egos laid on the same day, some that are not born till twenty-four 
and forty-eight hours after; these seem to proceed from the 
smaller eggs, which, possessing less vitality, produce a feebler 
offspring, like the last pig ina litter. It is perhaps just as well 
that these should die, for they then give no further trouble, con- 
sume no food, and as it were improve the stock by weeding out 
the sickly ones. 
It is a curious experience to have hanging in one’s Ailanthery, 
say a dozen bags of eggs laid on succeeding days, hanging on 
different trees, and to be able with certainty to point out to 
visitors in the evening a bag full of eggs and tell them to come in 
the morning before breakfast, and they will find the little worms 
spread over the under surface of the leaf feeding. There is a very 
curious satisfaction in witnessing the almost absolute certainty and 
regularity with which their growth and development proceeds, 
without requiring, as it would seem, any interference at the hand 
of man. But before describing that most interesting state of its 
existence, the larva, I ought, in order to render my allusions more 
clear, to describe my Ailantheries, or plantations of Ailanthus trees. 
Having changed my residence in March, 1865, I planted early in 
April 34 young trees of different ages, in 5 rows about 234 feet 
apart each way, in a small walled-in garden about 20 yards from 
my house, having a south-east aspect and completely overlooked by 
the windows facing that way; a wall of 5 feet high enclosed two 
sides of the garden, and it was easy to look over the top of this 
without frightening away any birds that might be on the ground 
or on the trees. Of these trees two died and two more made 
but little growth, but I had 30 trees of sufficient luxuriance of 
foliage to place thereon the young larve. On these trees I placed 
about 18,000 eggs for my first brood, beginning July 17th with 
