Insects, 6903 



Surely if insects are regularly taken in numbers at two distinct periods of tlie year the 

 evidence is sufficient that they are double-brooded. The case of Gonepteryx Rhamni, 

 in which the perfect insect may be taken in every month of the year, is one which 

 fairly admits of argument, because Dr. Maclean and others who have closely watched 

 the economy of the insect, say they are quite sure there is only one brood of larvae in 

 the year; but where the larvae and the imagos are found twice there is, in my opinion, 

 no room for doubt.— C. R. Bree. 



Some Notes on Fidonia conspicuata. — T hasten to comply with the request of my 

 friend Mr. Greene, that I should tell the readers of the 'Zoologist' all I know cou- 

 cerniug the habits and transformations of Fidonia conspicuata, W. V. During two 

 years residence at Stowmarket, in the neighbourhood of which town this insect occurs 

 in some plenty, I had an opportunity of becoming tolerably well acquainted with its 

 economy. Upon referring to my note-book I find the results of my observations to 

 have been as follows: — 



1857. May 11. Fidonia conspicuata flying sparingly. 

 May 19—27. Plentiful. 



June 8. Not a moth to be seen. 



Eggs laid May 22 hatch in about ten days, and are full fed and spin up the end 

 of June. 



July 19 — 26. Perfect insects keep appearing in my breeding-cage, and are flying 

 in great plenty in the broom-field. 



August 14. Beat a number of full-fed larvee in the broom-field, 



1858. May 4, 10 and 19. Fidonia conspicuata flying sparingly. 

 May 26—28. Abundant. 



June 8. Have a number of young larvae just hatched from eggs laid the end of 

 May. Upon visiting the broom-field, a few days afterwards, beat a number of very 

 small larvae. At the end of the month find them all full fed. 



July 15, 17. Perfect insect flying in numbers. 



Middle to end of August. Find plenty of full-fed larvaa. 



Mr. C. R. Bree, who lived for a number of years at Stowmarket, can testify that these 

 results occur as regularly as clock-work every year, the time of appearance being 

 slightly accelerated or retarded by the warmth or coldness of the season. The July 

 flight is, as Mr. Bree most correctly states, much more plentiful than the one in 

 May, and, as a general rule, the insects are smaller in size. As I could so readily 

 take the perfect insect I never took much pains to breed it in confinement. In 1857 

 a few of the summer batch of pupae did not emerge in July, but remained over till the 

 following spring, but that, in my opinion, in no way militates against the fact of the 

 insect being double-brooded. I am not going again to break a lance with my friend 

 Mr. Greene on the field of double-broodedness. I have already argued the point at 

 some length, both in the ' Zoologist' and 'Naturalist,' and the indefatigable exertions 

 and perspicuous revelations of Mr. Gascoyne have unalterably fixed an opinion 

 previously formed. I only wish to remark that I never asserted or contended that the 

 whole of the summer brood of larvae produced moths the same year (though Mr.Gas- 

 coyne's experiments show that this is frequently the case, and his experiments were 

 made with larvae kept out of doors and on growing plants). All I formerly contended 



