CUHIOSITIKS OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



INSECTS' EGGS. 



NEARLY all insects are oviparous, or produce their young by 

 eggs. In form, colour, character, and beauty of design, the 

 eggs of insects are more surprisingly varied than those of the 

 feathered tribes. The elaboration of structure and variety of 

 forms in a large number might be turned to a practical 

 account, as many suggest patterns of great beauty and deli- 

 cacy for art designs. Our knowledge of the composition of 

 either -the exterior or interior is not so complete as in the case 

 of birds' eggs. Those of our readers who may wish for 

 information on the structure should read an able article on 

 the subject by Mr. Jabez Hogg, which appeared in the 

 Intellectual Observer for December, 1867. 



The eggs of moths and butterflies present many varying 

 tints of colour, the prevailing being yellow, white, grey, and 

 a light brown. In some eggs the yellow, white, and grey are 

 delicately blended ; and these, when viewed with a magni- 

 fying power of about fifty diameters, and by the aid of a side 

 reflector (parabolic reflector), present many beautiful combi- 

 nations, and the most delicate opalescent, or rather iridescent 

 tints appear on others. 



The egg of the Abraxas grossularia, or Magpie moth 

 (Fig. 1), is very delicate and silvery in tone, and the mem- 

 brane is so translucent that the movements of the young 

 worm within can be very well seen. The egg of the Aspilates 

 yilvaria, or Straw-belle moth (Fig. 2), is very delicately tinted ; 

 it is somewhat long and narrow in form, with sides slightly 

 flattened or rounded off, and is regularly serrated. The top 

 is convex, and the base a little indented. The Exarnis 

 ypsilon, or Dingy shears (Fig. 3), lays a small sub-conical egg, 



