1875-1876.] l 97 



mained, but this it got rid of by a violent jerking gesticulation, and 

 then walked away, much paler in colour than it had been before 

 its moult." Most of the Bombyces are much more easily obtained 

 in the larva than in the imago state, and almost all exhibited by 

 me in drawer No. 4 have been thus reared, including Quercus, 

 Rubi, Rotatoria, Carpini, Caja, Jacobcece, Fuliginosa, Plantaginis, 

 Menthrastri, Lubricepeda, Antiqua. Coryti, Pudibunda, V inula, Buce- 

 phala, Dicta, Zic-zac, Camelina. The methods of finding the larvae 

 are — (1st) searching, by which I mean examining plants with eye 

 and hand for the larvae. If any plant is observed eaten by insects, 

 first examine the character of the notches or holes in the leaves ; 

 if these are at the edge, you may be sure that they are the work of 

 the larvae of a moth. If the edge is green and fresh the depre- 

 dator is not far distant, and a careful search will find him. Ex- 

 amine the under side of the leaves carefully, most of the larvae 

 hide on the under side. It is a good plan, where possible, to get 

 under the shrub, and look up at the leaves against the light of the 

 sky. A very little practice will enable one to tell by the notches 

 whether the caterpillar is a small one, or a large one, and also 

 whether it has lately been at work on the plant. Larvae may also 

 be found on turning up dead or withered leaves which are lying 

 on the ground, of dock or primrose, and some are found con- 

 spicuously extended on the surface of leaves or flowers, e.g., H. 

 Pisi on clover, and A. Rumicis on bramble. (2nd) Beating — 

 this is very simple, obtain a walking stick and an umbrella, a veri- 

 table Mrs. Gamp is best. Open the umbrella and hold it close 

 under the branches, if at a distance from the ground, or lay it on 

 the ground under the branch if low, and then beat the branch 

 downwards, taking care to strike the main stem, so as by the 

 sudden concussion to shake off anything that may be on any por- 

 tion of the leaves or twigs. If the branch is above you keep your 

 head down, and both eyes and mouth shut, especially late in the 

 season, or you may have a big stupid wasp, fat spider, or wriggling 

 beetle dropping into the latter, or a swarm of minute flies or 

 beetles entering the former. Carefully examine the contents first 



