THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 25) 
of the leaves, but were simply, and thus without the help of 
the saw, stuck here and there on to the under side of the 
leaf (see fig. 13). The eggs were cylindrical, and rounded off 
at either end (fig. 14); they were very small, of a yellow 
colour, smooth and shining. In the most developed ones a 
difference of colour could be observed between the middle 
and the extremities; whilst the latter remained green the 
middle became paler in colour, but afterwards more confused 
with markings; in fact, at last one could make out through 
the walls of the egg a little head with two black eyes. From 
two of these eggs young larvae were developed in my room; 
they crept about half-way out of the shell, but were not able 
to liberate the whole of the body. It appeared to me very 
singular that one of these half-born larve began to feed, and, 
considering the size of its body, managed to eat a pretty 
large hole out of the leaf. However, they both soon died; 
probably in consequence of the very abnormal condition in 
which they were. 
Note.—It is possible that this species may be the 
undescribed Nematus cylindricus of Dr. Th. Hartig (see 
Entom. Zeitung., vol. ii. p. 24, No. 39). 
Are the Colours of Lepidoptera influenced by Electricity ? 
By J. JENNER WEIR, Esq., F.L.S. 
THE following history of an attempt to produce varieties 
of Chelonia caja, by feeding the larve upon other than the 
natural food-plants, is translated from No. 154 of the ‘ Petites 
Nouvelles Entomologiques :’— , 
“Chelonia caja may well be considered injurious. In the 
Gatinais, where the vine is much cultivated, C. caja is found 
almost exclusively in the vine districts. It usually feeds on 
dandelion, groundsel, milfoil, and other low plants which 
grow in the furrows; but in a dry spring, when the grass fails, 
and the peasants take all they can find for their cattle, the 
caterpillars remorsely devour the buds and young shoots of 
the vine. The vine dressers are well acquainted with the 
caterpillar, and the mischief it does in some years is really 
serious, for it is so common that a couple of hundred may 
easily be collected in an hour, 
