44 



having been but two days short of twelve months in passing 

 from the egg to the perfect state." 



Mr. J. W. Slater exhibited two specimens of Arctia caia> 

 L., with yellow hind wings, which he stated were bred, to- 

 gether with eight others, by Mr. Mutch, of Hornsey. A 

 number of larvae, obtained early last season, were fed, some 

 on low plants, and others on leaves of the lime tree. The 

 latter produced imagines of a colour quite different from that 

 of those fed on the low plants. He should mention that 

 Mr. Mutch is engaged in carrying out experiments of this 

 kind ; feeding larvae on different food plants, and observing 

 the effect produced, with a view to throwing some light on 

 the genesis of colour. Mr. Adkin remarked that it was a 

 much vexed question whether food had any effect on the 

 colour. Mr. Wellman mentioned that he had bred numbers of 

 A. caia, but had never succeeded in getting many varieties. 

 Mr. South said that, with the view of rearing varieties of this 

 species, he had tried feeding the larvae on all kinds of plants, 

 and had never yet succeeded in breeding any but typical 

 caia ; he had also tried feeding under various coloured glass? 

 and in darkness, but with the same result. On several occa- 

 sions, however, when he had picked up larvae in the lanes, and 

 had taken no trouble with them, he had bred some curious 

 forms. Mr. Jenner Weir recollected reading of some very 

 curious varieties having been obtained by feeding the larvae 

 on the onion, which seemed a strange kind of food. Mr. 

 Tugwell said his experience was very similar to that of Mr. 

 South. Mr. Carrington thought that if the larvae of A. caia 

 were fed from the egg there would be some difficulty in 

 feeding them on lime, a tree which came into leaf late in the 

 season, unless it happened to be a second brood, and it was 

 well known that second and third broods of the species 

 generally emerged smaller and usually very dark. Mr. Hall 

 suggested it would be much more interesting if gentlemen 

 undertaking these experiments were to exhibit the whole 

 series instead of single specimens. Mr. Cockerell said it was 

 singular that there should be a yellow form of most red 

 species found throughout almost the whole of the Animal 



