1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 23 



Many hints and directions for the uniform description of larvse have been published 

 from time to time. Such a paper from the pen of Dr. William Saunders appeared in the 

 second volume of the " Canadian Entomologist," and our society published forms 

 for this purpose, but for some reason, possibly from their not being listed with the other 

 entomological supplies, tbey were not much used. But these hints and directions, though 

 excellent, are hardly up to present requirements. 



The following are the directions of Dr. H. Guard Knaggs in his Lepidcpterist's Guide 

 for the young, not the veteran, collector. 



" In carrying out observations upon the egg state, the student should note : — 



How the egg is laid : Whether unattached or attached ; or if so, by what means, and 

 also by what part of its surface ; the position of the female (and of her abdomen) at the 

 time of laying — whether hovering, at rest, or in what other act ; whether the eggs are 

 laid singly or in batches, and, if so, in what number, and whether unarranged or how 

 arranged ; also the total number deposited and whether nude or covered, and, in the latter 

 case, how covered or protected, together with any exceptions, individual, special, natural 

 or abnormal. 



When laid : At what date or dates, at what time or times of day or night ; at what 

 intervals, how long after copulation and how long after emergence of the female. 



Where laid : If not on the food plant, where ; if on the food, the exact position. 



The duration of the egg state, in species and in individual cases ; influences of tem- 

 perature, soil, locality, altitude, time of year, etc., which promote, retard or modify the 

 natural changes. 



The appearance of the egg itself, as to form, colour, or colours, markings, elevations, 

 depressions, and sculpture on the surface ; together with changes, normal as well as 

 irregular, from the time of exclusion to that of hatching. 



The mode of exit of the larva should be exactly observed and any other remarks or 

 experiments which may present themselves to the student, should if possible, be followed 

 up ; such as, for instance, those of proving how long the egg state may continue (i.e., the 

 ovum retain its vitality) with a view to throwing light upon the, at present, hidden 

 causes of the disappearance and periodical re-appearance of certain species ; and of 

 discovering if there be any sexual arrangement of the eggs, as laid, to account for the 

 emergence of a preponderance of one sex of the future moth at one time, of the other at 

 another, from the same batch of eggs. 



In describing, the best order will be to give the names of the parent species, and 

 then, by the assistance of microscopical examination, in their order, the measurement, 

 form, sculpture, colour, markings and changes ; the arrangement of the eggs, time, situa- 

 tion, etc, after which a diagnosis from the allied species may be added, as well as any 

 further remarks which may suggest themselves." 



So far Dr. Knaggs, and when we have got that far, mind you, we have only got these 

 little creatures out of their eggs, and I might go on at great length giving the directions 

 for observing and describing the caterpillars, but I spare you. Let it suffice to say that 

 we are urged to carry out the observation and description of all the succeeding stages, 

 with the same care and attention to all the possible and impossible minutiae ; but surely 

 this is a " counsel of perfection " unattainable by ordinary mortals, and especially by busy 

 men. 



But even taking a much lower view, the standard expected is still high. We have 

 before us a little creature, perhaps barely a tenth of an inch long, divided into a head 

 and twelve other segments, upon each of which there are various appendages, and we are 

 expected to describe all these things correctly in spite of the fac, that the owner of the 

 appendages is constantly crawling out of focus, and perhaps after all our trouble, when 

 we think that we have drawn up a fairly correct description and venture to publish it, 

 some subsequent observer, in a " criticism of previous descriptions," perchance accuses us 

 of having put some appendage upon the wrong segment. Of course, when we have 



