216 the entomologist's record. 



January 26th. — Several now are preparing for the fourth moult. 



January 21th. — In the morning I found one had completed its 

 fourth moult, and on looking at the larvae again, at 2.15 p.m., found 

 another in the act of shedding its skin. 



February 10th. — All, except one larva, have shed their skins for the 

 fourth time. 



February 13th. — One still has to undergo its fourth moult, yet a 

 few are preparing for their fifth. 



February lith. — The laggard has at last completed its fourth 

 moult. 



February 16th. — The first larva has completed its fifth moult. I 

 am now keeping the larvae in two large chip-boxes and a larger card- 

 board box, pierced with holes, and still placed in the bureau. 



March 6th. — All have now undergone their fifth moult, and several 

 are preparing for their sixth. 



March 17th. — These larvae are inclined to cannibalism, and at this 

 stage should not be kept crowded. I kept ten of the largest in a circu- 

 lar cardboard collar-box and, unfortunately, neglected to look at them 

 yesterday, and found, to-day, that some had completed their sixth 

 moult, and that two of the larvae were missing, which reduces the num- 

 ber of my larvae to 32. My larvae are now kept in several cardboard 

 boxes, with the lids pierced with small holes for ventilation, and I am 

 keeping them in a small side cupboard in my bureau. 



March 21st. — I found one of the larvae had been partly eaten by 

 one of its companions, but still alive, so had to put it out of its 

 misery. 



March 25th. — I had to kill another larva to-day which was unable 

 to moult, so have only 30 left. I am now keeping my boxes of larvae 

 on a shelf in a pantry. 



April loth. — I counted the larvae to-day and find I have only 28 

 left as I have had to kill two more that had been attacked, when 

 moulting, by their more advanced companions. Since then I took care 

 to remove all the larvae that bad completed their last moult (as soon 

 as they had sufficiently recovered from the operation) and placed them 

 in large boxes by themselves, and was careful to keep them provided 

 with plenty of food. These larvae, apparently, become slightly canni- 

 balistic after completing their sixth, and last, moult. They then attack 

 the larvae that are preparing for, or have just undergone the process of 

 moulting and, consequently, are helpless to defend themselves. When 

 all are in their final coat, and have been feeding again for a day or so, 

 they seem to quite lose this cannibalistic tendency. 



At the beginning of May the larvae were full-fed, and before spin- 

 ning up grew appreciably smaller, that is to say in length. During the 

 first week in May they commenced going down to get under their food- 

 plant, where they made a few webs — the merest apology of a cocoon — 

 in the folds of a leaf, or else between a leaf and the bottom of the box. 

 Unfortunately, four escaped from the boxes I kept them in — how they 

 managed to squeeze out of the tightly fitting lids is a mystery ! How- 

 ever, I found one of the wanderers under a cardboard box, on the shelf 

 where I keep my larvae, where it bad formed a flimsy cocoon. 



May l±th. — One larva has pupated. Several have attempted to 

 form cocoons on the lids of the boxes, and one or two on the sides, but 

 all but one fell, or else came down to pupate after remaining a few days 

 in their very slight webs. 



