NOTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARV^, ETC. 109 



V are a short distance beneath, iv first sub. and v sub. and very slightly 

 free. The hairs and tubercles being similar to i and ii but the hairs 

 being less curved are more upright. Two marginal tubercles, each 

 bearing one hair, are present, and on segments that bear prolegs, they 

 are situated on the base of prolegs. Both true legs and prolegs are large 

 and strong, the latter have a curved row of eight or nine hooks on the 

 inner side only [Described December 10th, 1899, from larva pre- 

 served in spirit] . — A. Bacot. 



Forcing Porthetria dispar and Lymantria monacha Ova. — On 

 December 18th, 1899, I placed about 300 ova of Porthetria dispar in a 

 chip box and kept them on the mantelpiece in a room where there was 

 a good fire all day. In little more than a fortnight the larv^ began to 

 appear, about a dozen ova hatching on January 3rd, 1900. It was 

 rather difficult to know upon what to feed the young larvae at this time 

 of the year, but after trying fir and most of the plants now to be found 

 in gardens, they settled down to the leaves of Campanula trachelium 

 (Canterbury Bell), on which they are feeding well. By January 15th 

 all 300 eggs had hatched, while many of those larvffi which had made 

 their appearance first were on that date undergoing their first change, 

 several on the 19th appearing in their new skin. I am also attempting 

 to force ova of Lymantria inonaeJia, but at the time of writing they 

 have not hatched, though I began forcing them on December 30th last. 

 It is rather curious''- to note that while it has taken only fifteen days to 

 hatch out ova of P. dispar, the L. monacha ova under exactly the same 

 conditions have not yet hatched (February 5th), a period of 37 days. 

 I think the reason may be that the heat was too great sometimes and 

 they have become dried up. I hope, though, that they will yet hatch. 

 As L. monacha is known to feed on fir, I thought it very possible P. 

 dispar, its near relative, would likewise do so. I do not know if this 

 latter insect has ever been induced to feed on fir. My attempt was 

 •quite unsuccessful. On February 3rd many of the larvae began their 

 second moult, while. some were no bigger than when newly hatched. — ■ 

 C. B. Antram, Croydon. February 5th, 1900. 



Foodplants of Callimorpha HERA. — I have about 150 larvai of C 

 hera (Devonshire), and find they feed well in captivity on Campanida 

 trachelium, which I can get more easily than groundsel, plantain, white 

 dead-nettle, &c. — C. B. Antram. February 5th, 1900. 



* Is this really curious ? P. disimr is, so far as the evidence goes, almost cer- 

 tainly an introduced species, with more or less south European habits of hyberna- 

 tion, whilst L. monacha is a bona fide Britisher, with very different notions of 

 hybernation. — Ed. 



(gfURRENT NOTES. 



The City of London Entomological and Natural History Society 

 will hold a conversazione and exhibition of entomological and other 

 natural history specimens, &c., at the London Institution, Finsbury 

 Circus, E.C., on Tuesday, April 21th, 1900. Tickets (Is. each) (must 

 be previously obtained) from the Hall Porter of the Institution, 

 Finsbury Circus, or from the Secretary of the Society, S. J. Bell, 150, 

 Stockwell Park Eoad, Brixton, S.W. Doors open at 7.30 p.m. 



Our readers will learn with regret of the death of the celebrated 

 , Micro-lepidopterist Dr. 0. Hofmann, which took place on February 22nd. 



