NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 129 



to which they had been subjected, I removed them from the heat to 

 see whether it would be possible to hybernate them, and for this pur- 

 pose placed them in a room not artificially heated. On Dec. 16th one 

 larva changed its position slightly, but, after again remaining stationary 

 for a few days, died, and on Feb. 22nd, 1893, the second one died. The 

 third and last remained on the clover-leaf until March 17th, when, 

 finding it moving about, I placed it upon a plant of clover. On the 

 following day it commenced feeding, resting at night usually on the 

 stem of the plant ; it fed freely, and all went well until April 8th, when 

 it affixed itself to the stem and assumed the well-known position por- 

 tending a change of skin ; but unfortunately it did not survive the 

 operation, as on April 10th it was lying on the surface of the moss in 

 a helpless condition, and died on the 13th, having failed to moult. Its 

 length was then seven-sixteenths of an inch. It will thus be seen that 

 this larva refrained from food from the middle of November to March 

 17th, say, over 120 days ; and thus it appears clear that Colias hyale 

 has the power of hybernating in the larval stage, whatever it may do 

 in its natural state in those countries more favoured by this species 

 than our own ; and it would be interesting if some of our authorities 

 can definitely tell us in what stage C. hyale passes the winter season 

 upon the Continent, and in those parts of the globe in which it is a 

 regular inhabitant. — Herbert Williams ; 80, Hanley Koad, Hornsey 

 Rise, London, March 9th, 1896. 



Vanessa uRTiCiE in January. — At midday on January 16th last, a 

 specimen, in good condition, of F. urticce, deceived by the mild weather, 

 was tempted to take a winter flight in the garden. — A. J. Hoare ; 13, 

 Knight's Park, Kingston-on-Thames, Feb. 5th, 1896. 



[Several correspondents have written to inform us that they ob- 

 served the species on the wing during the first half of February. — Ed.] 



Retarded Emergences. — I bred during last season Papilio machaon 

 and Ayithocharis cardamines, both of which had been two winters in 

 pupa. Forcing was attempted early in the previous year, but over one 

 dozen of the former and three of the latter held over. The A. carda- 

 mines are quite normal, but two of the P. machaon pupae were quite 

 unusual in the development of the imago. The abdomen of the 

 perfect insect appeared quite ready for emergence before the pattern of 

 the wings became visible. One example died, and the other, though 

 much crippled, resulted in a remarkable dark variety. I may also 

 mention two emergences of Eriogaster lanestris (four winters in pupa). 

 — A. T. Mitchell ; 5, Clayton Terrace, Gunnersbury, W. 



Parasites Bred. — Macquartia affinis, Schin. This fly has been 

 bred from the larva of Chrysomela varians by Mr. Key, of Plymouth, 

 who kindly gave me a specimen. — Eucyrtus fiaminius, Dalm. I have 

 bred this pretty little Chalcid from the apple-scale insect, Mytdllaspis 

 pomorum. — Myina phillyrecs, Hal. ; parasitic on Aleyrodes phillyrem^ 

 Hal. Both of these occur commonly in Mr. Richardson's garden at 

 Chickerell. — Exochus gravipes, Gran. ; from Nephropteryx genistella. — 

 Tetrastrichiis eudemus, Walk. ; from Coleophora trifolii. — Entedon amyelas. 

 Walk. ; from Nepticula gei. — Derostenus gemmeus^ West. ; from Conchylisi 



ENTOM, — APRII^, 1896. 1, 



