PHORODESMA SMARAGDARIA, FABRICIUS. 158 
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 larvee 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. 
T put the box out of doors against a plant of A. absinthium, watched 
the young larve 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. Thata great many larve 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- 
eround, 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 larve 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 larve 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 larve 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 (pl. 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 ‘9mm. in length, by ‘6mm. 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 
eges 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, 
