PHORODESMA SMARAGDARIA, FABRICIUS. 153 



by other collectors. I have frequently reared the insect from the egg 

 in captivity, and it has always previously proved difficult to pair, the 

 females have laid few eggs, but the resulting larvae have invariably fed 

 up to a certain stage, and then hybernated in due course. Last year, 

 being slack or indolent, I let my stock come out in a glass-topped tie- 

 box, until there were some 30 battered specimens. I then began to be 

 ashamed of myself, and examination revealed a large number of eggs. 

 I put the box out of doors against a plant of A. absinthiitin, watched 

 the young larvae feed, and remarked the rate at which they grew. On 

 August 18th, I counted over my stock, and then discovered several 

 cocoons and empty pupa shells. Closer inspection resulted in several 

 fatal accidents, and one live pupa — which in due course produced the 

 imago on August 22nd. That a great many larvae passed the usual 

 hybernating stage I feel certain, and I am wondering how many of the 

 200 which I counted in the autumn will turn up this year. I have 

 just looked at the bags in which they have spent the winter, but so far 

 have discovered very few moving. 



Just a hint as to collecting will, I suppose, be expected of me. The 

 only imago I ever took wild I found sitting low down on the hedge, 

 just outside Benfleet station (perhaps it had been attracted by the 

 lamps). This was on June 4th, 1896. The larva seems to have been 

 taken almost wherever the food-plant grows, from Tilbury to St. Osyth, 

 except at Mucking. I have never found beating into an umbrella much 

 good, the rubbish hides the game. The eye is the best instrument. 

 At the slightest touch the larva drops into the very lowest hole near. Be 

 careful then when you see a larva. Further, do not despise ground 

 carefully searched half an hour ago. When you reach the hunting- 

 ground, first of all, roll on the patch of plants, then sit down and eat 

 your lunch, or smoke a pipe. When you are ready, go quietly and 

 have another look. If the day be warm, the sun shining, you will see 

 the larvfe walking about quite actively on the beaten-down patch. 



It is curious to notice how proud a larva appears to be of a large 

 new leaf fragment just tacked on his coat. Once or twice I have come 

 across larvae which systematically rejected clothing, I suppose they 

 were uncivilized and savage individuals, or suffered from the mange. 

 Mr. J. A. Clark, who has watched the larvae carefully, tells me that 

 after changing their skins, and dropping therewith their coats, they 

 quickly reclothe themselves, and have been seen robbing their neigh- 

 bours, to save the trouble, I suppose, of nibbling off new fragments. 

 For the following notes I am greatly indebted to Mr. A. Bacot, who 

 has been good enough to devote time and much trouble to the 

 subject : 



Ovum. — The egg (pi. vii., fig. 1) or rather empty shells, which being 

 composed of very hard horn, retain their shape unaltered, form rather 

 a short broad oval, much flattened on either side, measuring between 

 •8mm. and -Omm. in length, by -Gmm. in width, by •4mm. in thickness. 

 The surface is covered with a fine but clearly marked reticulation 

 roughly hexagonal. The gap eaten by the larva is not very regular in 

 position. The egg-shell is semitransparent, white to the naked eye, 

 but yellowish under the microscope. Mr. Bacot's measurements will 

 be found to be quite in agreement with the scale upon the plate. The 

 eggs are laid in irregular groups upon or near the terminal shoots of 

 the food-plant — in a wild state — but in confinement on the leaves, 



