THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 2907 
that, after the last ecdysis is passed, the larve must then 
either attain maturity in the autumn, or, if not allowed to do 
that, they will die off. I should much like to be informed 
what reasons subsist in proof of the theory, propounded by 
the old naturalists, that the female of O. gonostigma, like 
that of Liparis auriflua and other species, clothes her eggs 
with down, because the scorching rays of the sun might 
prove injurious to them.—J. R. S. Clifford. 
Food-plant of Orgyia gonostigma.—In the last number of 
the ‘Entomologist, Mr. H. Robinson, of Coventry, kindly 
gives us other food-plants on which the larve of O. gono- 
stigma will feed, namely, blackthorn and whitethorn; but I do 
not see how he can state that oak as a food for this larva is a 
mistake : we have always found it feed more freely on this than 
anything else. This season I have been very successful in getting 
all the larvee of this species, that I had from eggs deposited 
by the first brood, into the imago state (unfortunately small 
specimens). These larve I supplied with oak and sallow, 
and I found that they fed very little on the former, while any 
of the latter was to be obtained. I certainly think that my 
success in getting all my larve to change into pupe was on 
account of giving them a constant supply of fresh sallow. On 
one occasion | placed a few young larve of Gonostigma in 
ajar, with some other larve I had feeding on beech, and was 
not a little surprised to find that they ate this rather freely. 
I certainly, therefore, think that the larva of Gonostigma is, 
like that of Antiqua, a universal feeder.—J. R. Wellman ; 
14, Portland Place North, Clapham Road, S.W., September 
23, 1874. 
Do some of the Larve of Saturnia Carpini Hybernate 2— 
Has it before been noticed that some of the larve of Saturnia 
Carpini apparently hybernate? In June I took a young 
brood, newly emerged, on the top of a little tuft of heather. 
They gradually came to grief, one way or another, all but two. 
Of these one is now full fed, and thinking about making its - 
cocoon; the other is only about eleven lines long, and very small 
altogether: it has remained this size, and in the penultimate 
stage of colouring (yellowish green, and black markings), for 
the last five weeks; yet it eats, and seems quite healthy.— 
W.D. Robinson-Douglas ; Orchardton, Castle Douglas, N.B., 
September 3, 1874. 
