264 ENTOMOLOGY. 



tightly tied down they force their way under the string, perfectly in- 

 different to a squeezing that, while in operation, completely flattens 

 them; and if the string is too tight, they will force their way between 

 the covering and the pot, or into the smallest fold, and there die, after 

 reducing themselves to the thickness of brown paper. To frustrate 

 their efforts the covering must be of strong calico or cloth, and must 

 be tied down with thin string, which must be wound five or six times 

 round the pot and strained tight at each round, and the covering ma- 

 terial then pulled tight. No larva can then force its way under the 

 string, and they cannot easily get between the calico and the pot; but, 

 to completely prevent this, the best plan appears to be to rub a little 

 lard or other form of grease round the edge of the pot. This they 

 detest, and will not willingly touch, and it does seem to circumvent 

 them. If by these devices the larvae can be compelled to remain in 

 the pot, tbey will spin up among the food plant or in the moss; but 

 so much sulkiness remains in their disposition that the moths, on 

 emerging, will often remain among the rubbish at the bottom until 

 spoiled. The best plan is to examine the food and pick out the pupa?, 

 which do well if placed on soft material in a chip or card box. If 

 however, when full fed, the larva? are allowed to force their way with 

 difficulty out of the pot, they appear quite satisfied, and will spin up 

 in the first available place; so that I have obtained numerous pupa? 

 by simply laying a squeezed- up piece of gauze or leno, or even some 

 dry moss, loosely on the top of the pot. 



" There are a very few leaf -feeders, such as Stigmonota weirana and 

 8. nitidana, which hibernate in a cocoon between the leaves on which 

 they have fed. These give little trouble, and only require to be kept 

 cool. 



" The species of the genus Retinia, which feed in fir-shoots, are tol- 

 erably easy to rear if the shoots are not allowed to get tco dry, as 

 they do not readily become mouldy, and the larva? will move freely 

 to fresh shoots. A common flower-pot covered with glass is the best 

 for them. 



" Some of the species of Anchylopera, which feed on the leaves of 

 shrubs and make themselves domiciles in which to pass the winter, 

 are rather difficult to rear, and must have winter exposure, but those 

 which feed in early spring on clover, etc. , are easily managed. 



"Except the Sciaphila?, no Tortrix larva 1 are so hard to rear as the 

 various groups of seed-feeders. There certainly are exceptions, such 

 as Antithesia gentianana and marginana, Asthenia strobilella, and 

 Eupcecilia roseana, which obligingly remain in their respective seed- 

 heads all the winter, requiring only to be kept cool and not too dry, 

 and not even needing to be wintered out of doors. The feeders on 

 Papilionaceous seeds, such as Sligmonota orobana and dorsana, after 



