168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
successful—but often unsuccessful—plan of “ forcing,” thus 
causing a premature development, simply by a heightened 
temperature, yet the principle of warmth, in some few isolated 
cases, is open to argument. A short time since a correspondent 
told me of his taking a specimen of Macaria Alternata in the 
New Forest in May, together with several other species, which 
in ordinary seasons seldom occur till June, and this notwith- 
standing the winter-like weather we were experiencing at the 
time. Doubtless, the heat and almost summer-like atmosphere 
of a part of April would explain all this, and much more, if 
we only knew how to read “Dame Nature’s” volume more 
correctly ; but it seemed to me a strange coincidence, to be 
beating an Aureola from an oak whose shoots were crisp and 
black from the effects of frost. It may be argued that the 
early budding of the tree, as well as the development of the 
insects, are to be traced to the same cause, namely, heat; 
and the argument is undoubtedly correct, but the theory of 
heat is not so amply demonstrated in some cases: take, for 
instance, the development of the early spring Lepidoptera, as 
the Tzeniocampa, Hirtaria, &c.; if the weather is cold and 
unfavourable at the time they naturally “ come out,” some of 
them are retarded in their development, and no heat of the 
subsequent summer awakens them, but they lie over until 
their “ appointed time” the following spring, which seems an 
extraordinary thing, if heat alone causes development. The 
abundance of insects in summer, and their comparative rarity 
in winter, is an ample proof of the great part which heat 
plays in their development; but it is interesting in some 
cases to see how Nature, in her wonderful. order and design, 
seems—to our finite understandings—to deviate from her 
unalterable laws, all for the benefit and well-being of her 
children.—G@. B. Corbin. 
Larve Required for Figuring.—As I am anxious to obtain 
correct drawings of the larve of Lepidoptera, from Nature, 
for publication, perhaps some of your readers possessing any 
rare species might be inclined to send me one or two for this 
purpose. If required, any larve shall be returned.—Owen 
Wilson ; Carmarthen. 
Change of Address. —T. N. Hoey, from 45, Athearn Road, 
Peckham, to 1, Cload Road, Philips Road, Peckham | 
Rye, S.E. 
