430 *HE entomologist's kecord. 



that the froutispiese of a " science reader " published (juite recently 

 should contain in tabular form the following legend : 

 Animals. — Backboned : Hoise, man, cfcc. 

 Boneless : Eels, snakes, &c. 



One would like to know the rest of those " boneless " animals, and 

 make the acquaintance of the authority on this subject. 



The quotations in Mr. Hepden's paper are not taken from the books 

 of small and obscure publishers, but from those whose really scientific 

 books take the first place in the world. Is it simply that these pub- 

 lishers consider that anyone can write a book for a child, when, as a 

 matter of fact, the combination of knowledge and literary skill should 

 be at its greatest for this purpose ? One would scarcely believe that 

 the publishers of our standard entomological literature would allow 

 such a statement as — " The beetle has a strong pair of biting jaws or 

 mandibles and another pair of chewing jaws and so have all insects that 

 live on solid animal and vegetable food. They bite oft' their food with 

 their maudibles,and chew it with their chewing teeth." Another publisher, 

 himself a litterateur of the first rank, allows in one of these the follow- 

 ing — " The mouth of a fly is a little trunk or tube like the trunk of a tiny 

 elephant. . . . These worms (dipterous larvfe. — Ed.) eat a great 

 deal and then go to sleep. . . . Flies feed on dirt of all kinds," whilst 

 other publishers equally well known in the literary world allow that, 

 as silkworms spin their cocoons, you can hear their little " click, click, 

 click, as they work away inside." We are not often ofi'ered such a 

 parody on entomological science as the quotations that form the bulk 

 of Mr. Hepden's communication combine to make. Although quite 

 difi'erent from the run of articles generally accepted and printed in this 

 magazine, it is totally impossible to refuse to publish such a challenge 

 to those in authority, and one may sincerely hope that the powers that 

 be will see that public monies spent on education are not wasted in 

 perpetuation of gross errors, which are, at the same time, a disgrace to 

 the present progressive trend of education, a serious reflection on 

 those who are responsible, and a scandal that needs the pen of a 

 Dickens to expose thoroughly. — Ed. 



Habits of the imago of Smeriiithus ocellatus, Linn. 



By L. .J. LAMBILLION, Vice-President of the Ent. Hoc. of Namur. 



On May 25th, 1898, Mr. Franz Derenne was kind enough to give 

 me a fine pair of SjiierintJiHs oeellatitx, I was particularly thankful 

 because, for some time, I had been desirous of making some observations 

 on the copulation and egg-laying of this interesting species. As the 

 insects were paired and perfectly quiet I placed them on the window- 

 curtain of my room, where they remained immovable until about 

 7.45 p.m. At this time, assuming that they would soon prepare for 

 flight, I Avatched them carefully so as to observe them as soon as they 

 should awake from their sleep. The male first became restless, 

 vibrated his wings rapidly for some seconds and appeared to warn the 

 female that it was time to separate (one knows that the genital organs 

 of the Lepidoptera are so formed that it is the female that retains the 

 male during copulation). The female, however, did not stir and two 

 or three minutes later the male again vibrated his wings (more rapidly 



