LAST YEARS. 3T3 



In the course of 1878 a new hobby began to interfere a 

 little with the exclusive interest in the marine aquarium. 

 It was, more strictly speaking, his earliest hobby resusci- 

 tated. He met with a French gentleman, resident in 

 London, who made it his business to import fine exotic 

 Lepidoptera in the pupa condition. It was nearly twenty 

 years since, in response to a suggestion from Lady Dorothy 

 Nevill, Philip Gosse had made a brief attempt to breed the 

 great Indian moths. He first purchased a few chrysalids 

 of continental butterflies, amongst others Papilio Poda- 

 liritis, Thais Polyxena, and Lyccena Iolas ; but he soon 

 became chiefly interested in the great moths of America 

 and India, the Satumiadce and their allies. He writes 

 (May 14, 1878) :— 



" You will perhaps recollect the great atlas moth in 

 " the midst of the box of Chinese insects on the wall of 

 "our breakfast-room. Well, I have a living cocoon of 

 "this species, and of a number of others akin to it. 

 " Two noble specimens have already been evolved, and 

 "are preserved. Then I have eggs of several of the 

 "species, from one set of which {Attacus Yatnrna-mai of 

 "Japan) I am now rearing beautiful caterpillars, on oak. 

 " Some of these insects are North American, and were 

 "objects of my desire and delight when I collected in 

 " Canada and in Alabama ; and this casts an extra halo 

 " around them. But their size and beauty make them 

 " all very charming. ' Naturam expelles, tamen usque 

 " ' recurret! I am most thankful to say that God con- 

 " tinues to me such health and buoyancy of spirits that I 

 " enter into all these recreations with as much enthusiasm 

 " as I felt forty years ago. And so does my beloved wife, 

 " who adds tenfold to my enjoyment, both of work and 

 " play, by her hearty sharing of both, and an enjoyment as 

 " keen as my own. Thus are we two happy old fogies." 



