SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



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and imperceptibly loses all trace of articulation 

 in body and limbs, until all former resemblance 

 to, or indeed indication of, an insect has com- 

 pletely vanished, and she appears a total wreck, 

 " sans everything." Having laid her eggs, which 

 remain under her, she finally shrivels up to a dry 

 husk, and is now nothing but a protecting shield 

 to the enclosed and underlying eggs. She will 

 never see her progeny, and they can at most only 

 know their poor mother as a snug shed with a 

 low-arched roof from which they will too gladly 

 emerge upon the first opportunity. The male 

 coccus is a small, short-lived, white-winged fly. 

 Mr. C. J. Gahan says : " Some years ago the 

 orange plantations of California were threatened 

 with ruin owing to the ravages of Icerya puroliasi, 

 which had been accidentally imported from 

 Australia, and had spread with great rapidity. 

 Experts were sent to Australia to try and discover 

 the natural enemies of the insect in its native 

 country. It was found that the scale-insect was 

 there kept in check by dipterous and hymeno- 

 pterous parasites, but chiefly by the larvae of a 

 lady-bird beetle. A number of these beetles and 

 parasitic insects were brought to America, and set 

 to prey upon the coccidae. When they had multi- 

 plied si^fficiently they were distri bitted amongst 

 several orange plantations, with the result that 

 many were soon almost entirely cleared of the 

 scaly bug." In the year 1845 Mr. G. Newport, 

 F.R.S., at that time President of the Entomological 

 Society, said in his anniversary address that " so 

 complete had been the ravag-os of the coccus of 

 the orange-tree, that one of the Azores — the island 

 of Fayal — lost its entire produce from this cause 

 alone. The usual annual exportation from Fayal 

 had been 12,000 chests; but in 1843 not a single 

 chest was exported." This amount of injurj^ to a 

 whole population by a diminutive and apparently 

 contemptible insect was the result of but three 

 years' ravages. Well might the President say : 

 " The effects of this insect on a single article of 

 luxury might fairly be adduced to show that 

 entomological inquiries are deserving of full 

 attention." — Samuel Htmartli, 26 Grange Crescent, 

 Sheffield. 



Pupa Hunting. — Hunting for lepidopterous 

 chrysalides may be carried on all the 3^ear round, 

 but the summer and early autumn months will be 

 found the best. For equipment an ordinary 

 garden trowel and a box filled with moss are all 

 that is necessary, patience and perseverance ex- 

 cepted. It is quite likely that the bag at first will 

 not be a large one, but the pupa digger who 

 at the first unsuccessful essay throws up the 

 hunt in disgust would probably have found his 

 toil amply rewarded at the second or third attempt. 

 It is hoped, however, that the hints given here 

 may save those who have not tried this mode of 

 collecting, the expenditure of a good deal of the 

 time and trouble which are the result of inexperi- 

 ence. First, heavy clay soils should be avoided, or 

 ground which is so hard as to present a serious 

 obstacle to the trowel. Next, when the ground is 

 sodden with recent rain it should be left, and the 

 pupae looked for upon trees or under loose bark 

 and moss. They are, of course, often found when 

 gardening', whilst turning over sods of turf or 

 digging up roots ; but these are chance finds as to 

 which no rules can be laid down. By searching 

 methodically in the manner here indicated, the 

 pupae of some rare moths, otherwise difficult to 



procure, may with tolerable certainty be obtained 

 to breed the perfect insects. The most productive 

 trees are the oak, elm, birch, poplar, ash, hawthorn, 

 and willow. The trowel should be inserted to the 

 depth of about four inches in the interstices of the 

 roots. The sod thus removed may be put on one 

 side and the cocoons gently sought for with the 

 hand, along the under surface of the tree root, to 

 which they are often found to be adhering. The 

 sod should now be lightly tapped with the trowel, 

 and if there are any pupae in it they will pro- 

 bably fall out. If the sod is of light dry earth, 

 it will easily fall apart afterwards by shaking,, 

 when a more minute examination may repay the 

 searcher. It is of little use digging at a greater 

 distance than eight inches from the trunk of a 

 tree, and in the case of trees other than those I 

 have mentioned the pupae are more likely to be 

 found under the loose bark or moss than at the 

 roots. Exception must be made in favour of those 

 of Trachea pin\percla and Boarmia ahietaria,. 

 which are found at the roots of fir and spruce and 

 yew trees. With the aiDproach of winter pupae 

 become more difficult to find. They have many 

 enemies, such as birds, mice, and even earwigs, 

 that feed upon them. The best course then is to 

 commence searching within a few weeks of the 

 transformation from the caterpillar to the pupae 

 stage having taken place. The collector, however, 

 should always be prepared for the possibility of 

 some of his finds drying up. This arises as a rule 

 from their being injured, either before or during 

 their capture, or having been kept too dry. Some 

 are tougher than others, but all require the utmost 

 care in handling. Meadows and parks dotted with 

 trees of large growth make the best hunting- 

 grounds. Of the trees, those where the grass 

 beneath has been worn away by cattle or which 

 are situated on the banks of streams are the most 

 likely hunting grounds. A solitary oak or poplar 

 in the middle of a field is an ideal spot for the 

 pupa digger, especially if the soil is dry and 

 friable. Pieces of loose bark still adhering to 

 the tree and every nook and cranny of the tree 

 itself should be carefully examined. In some cases 

 the cocoons will be found concealed between a 

 pair of leaves joined together. The chrysalis of 

 Platypteryx falcula chooses the leaves of the birch 

 for this purpose. It is found in June and again in 

 September. Another species of the same genus- 

 selects the leaves of the beech. The moss growing 

 at the base of trees should also be carefully re- 

 moved and examined. Woods, as a rule, will be 

 found unproductive. This does not apply, how- 

 ever, to their extreme edges, nor to the borders of 

 the clearings often to be met with even in the 

 heart of a forest. Clearings in elevated positions 

 and with a northern as^ject are the best. When a 

 hard sod has been removed from the base of a tree 

 without result it should, whenever possible, be 

 replaced in the cavity from Avhich it was taken. 

 The earth having been loosened forms a sort of 

 trap, and one may have an excellent find on the 

 next visit. Pupae digging can be recommended 

 as a healthy and interesting- pursuit, and rare 

 specimens may be obtained in this way at a season 

 of the year when the hope of capturing- fully 

 developed insects of the same species is qiute out 

 of the question. Until, however, accustomed to 

 the accompanying physical inconvenience, one must 

 expect some tiring days. — A. L. Clifford. 37 Saint 

 Augustine JRoad, Camden Square, London, N. W. 



