72 



black all over, with a roughened shell. Size l-Smin. diameter, and 

 '7mm. greatest height. Hatch in about a fortnight. 



Centra fnrcida. — I have onlj' found these wild-laid after they had 

 hatched out. They were always on the outer leaves of small sallow 

 bushes, deposited singly, but very often more than one on the same 

 leaf. In shape similar to C. bifida, but blacker, smoother of shell, 

 and rather smaller in size, measuring only l*lmm. in diameter, and 

 -fimm. high. The date was towards the end of July. 



Vicranura vimila. — The eggs of the puss moth are probably by 

 now familiar to most students of nature. They are so easily found 

 in May, June and July on leaves of poplar, sallow and willow, 

 appearing from below as conspicuous black dots of considerable 

 size, and can be distinctly seen through the leaves in a good light. 



Usually laid singly and firmly cemented to the surface of the 

 leaf, the cement often forming an apparently dark ring round the 

 base of the egg. Very frequently two eggs or even as many as five 

 may be found on the same leaf, and when close together they have 

 probably been laid by the same moth. 



In shape they are hemispherical, with the base nearly flat, and 

 the micropylar area apparently very slightly truncated outwards 

 enclosing the micropyle in a sort of pit. Usually the colour is 

 mahogany brown, the micropylar area, and the lower part of the 

 base being much lighter in colour. ' Specimens have been found 

 with the darker pigment absent, but these so far as I am aware, 

 produced normal insects. 



The shell is roughened, but has a glossy surface, and average 

 measurements are l-8mm. in diameter and 1mm. high. 



Hatching usually commences between two and three weeks after 

 the date of oviposition. 



Ptcrostoma palfiina : When looking for other ova in June, I have 

 twice found a single egg of this species. One was laid on the 

 underside of a poplar leaf, near but not on the mid-rib, and the 

 other in a similar position on sallow, but on the upper surface of 

 the leaf. Typically notodont in shape, it may be described as 

 rather more than half of a sphere divided just below the middle, 

 and resting firmly on the flat base. In colour, pale bluish-white, 

 with a rather darker spot in the centre of the upperside, indicating 

 the micropylar area, and a slightly glossy shell, which shows some 

 amount of roughness, however, under a lens. Dimensions l"15mm. 

 diameter, and -Sram. maximum height. 



Phalera bucephala usually lays in large batches underneath the 

 leaves of a number of trees of which lime, elm, oak, and sallow, are 



