246 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



observed, but on removal from a damp to a dry cage rapid expansion 

 took place. I have myself noticed a delay of ten or twelve hours in 

 Chesias rufata. This year I bred eleven Lithostege griseata ; of these 

 three never showed any signs of expansion, two expanded partially, 

 and six completely. Most of them emerged about six p.m., and one 

 evening I was fortunate in seeing two run up out of the moss, and at 

 once transferred them both to dry breeding-cages. One showed no 

 sign of expansion till twenty-four hours after emergence, and then 

 its wings grew rapidly and completely ; the other did not begin to 

 expand until sixty-six hours after emergence, and then its growth was 

 not quite complete. Under certain conditions these allied species of 

 Geometers show a tendency to delay in the expansion of their wings, 

 and if this occurs under natural conditions it must add greatly to 

 their risks of death before propagating their kind. Mine all emerged 

 in a damp box, in which some were left, but others were transferred 

 to dry cages as soon as observed ; but absence of development and 

 perfect development appeared to take place in either case. The 

 numbers bred were too few to draw any conclusions as to the cause 

 of the phenomenon. I should like to know if a delay of sixty-six 

 hours has ever been noticed before. — E. A. Cockayne ; 16, Cambridge 

 Square. 



Thera variata and obeliscata Bred from Spruce. — During 

 a short visit to Brockenhurst early in April of this year I succeeded 

 in repeating my experience of last" season, as recorded by Mr. L. B. 

 Prout in his article on Thera variata (Entom. vol. xlv. pp. 241-246). 

 I obtained from the same row of spruces some thirty Thera larvae in 

 various stages of growth. The larvae were much scarcer than on my 

 previous visit, and nearly all of those secured proved to be ichneu- 

 moned. They were fed entirely on spruce, and in May began to 

 emerge. The first two were typical obeliscata, both large females of 

 a red-brown shade, quite indistinguishable from other south-country 

 specimens in my series. Three days later, on May 6th, a pair of true 

 variata, exactly resembling those bred by me last year, and the pair 

 figured by Mr. Prout, emerged. Unfortunately, I failed to secured a 

 pairing. These were followed on the 12th by a female obeliscata — a 

 pale form with a narrow dark bar — and on the 18th by a female 

 variata, exactly similar to the earlier specimen. Since then nothing 

 else but ichneumons have arrived ; but the evidence of these six, all 

 obtained from the same row of spruce trees and bred under the same 

 conditions, seems to prove clearly that the variation does not depend 

 merely upon difference of food-plant. I had hoped to be able to 

 cross the two forms, and the result of such a cross would be of con- 

 siderable biological importance, but my material this season has been 

 insufficient, and I can only trust that other entomologists with greater 

 skill and fuller opportunities will try the experiment, which should 

 not be a difficult one. — (Kev.) C. E. Kaven ; 4, Park Terrace, 

 Cambridge. 



iEGERiA (Sesia) scoli^formis in Staffs. — It may be of interest 

 to record that at the end of May I succeeded in extracting from a 

 birch-trunk on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, a pupa of M. scolice- 



