JUNE. 195 



seen of this division,, and are all handsome : the Belle (Spi- 

 losoma Virginica), a moth of soft, velvety, white wings, is 

 become quite numerous ; the Ruby Tiger ( Phragmatobia 

 Fuliginosa), an European species, I caught in a potato field 

 just at night-fall. It laid several eggs in a box, which were 

 hatched in about a week ; the young caterpillars, which are 

 hairy, eat the leaves of the dandelion. The other moth, the 

 finest I have yet taken, is the Rose-breasted (Dryocampa 

 RubicundaJ, a female : the head is exceedingly small, and 

 jaws (or sucker) altogether wanting. It is large and heavy, 

 and very inert, not making the least attempt to fly, or even 

 to crawl, when molested. I found it in the evening, on a 

 large stone in the field. 



F. It is a rare species : the male is so much unlike the 

 female, that you would scarce recognise it. It is much 

 smaller and lighter of form, and not remarkable for inacti- 

 vity ; and the wings, which are cream-coloured in the female, 

 are in the male beautifully clouded with rose-colour. 



C. I put it and the female Belle Moth into sembling 

 boxes to attract males, but though I kept them exposed in 

 the field for several days and nights, no males came near that 

 I was aware of : it may be that they were already impreg- 

 nated, though in that case they would probably have depo- 

 sited their eggs. It has been likewise unsuccessful with a 

 female Tiger Swallow-tail which I reared from the pupa : 

 hundreds are flying around, but not one comes near the 

 captive. 



F. Sembling is not so likely to be successful with those 

 species, whose females are active and lively, as with those 

 which are dull and inert ; therefore I am not surprised at 

 your failure with respect to the Belle and the Swallow-tail ; 

 and perhaps the scarcity of the species may sufficiently ac- 

 count for it with the Rose-breasted moth. 



C. Wasps of different species are now very busy : some 



K 2 



