98 BRITISH LEPiDOPTERA. 



Egg-parasite. — Teleas ? sp. (Bartlett). 



Ovum. — L. quereils (English) : Cylindrical in outline with rounded 

 ends; length: breadth: height: .-4: 3:3; colour to the naked eye 

 blackish-grey, with the micropyle showing as a black point at one 

 end ; no depression on the upper surface, but a very smooth area 

 occupies the usual position of this depression ; under a two-thirds 

 lens the opalescent character of the egg is most marked; the ground 

 colour is white, marbled with dark greenish-fuscous, and it is these dark 

 fuscous markings that give so a remarkable an opalescent appearance 

 to the egg ; the surface is covered with minute shiny points, which are 

 traceable as the angular terminations of a polygonal reticulation 

 which covers the surface, each being placed at an angle of one of 

 the polygons forming the reticulation ; the points are very irregularly 

 placed, hence the reticulation is irregular; the central part of the egg is 

 somewhat smoother than the ends ; the micropylar area forms a distinct 

 depression, black in colour, the cells small, but with a minute 

 central stellate structure ; the black micropylar area is sharply cut 

 off from the surrounding area, which is white. [Eggs laid on July 

 3rd, description made July 8th, under a two -thirds lens.] L. 

 var. meridionalis (French) : Oval in outline, but appearing scarcely 

 so round as those of var. viburni, examined at the same time (anted, 

 p. 60) ; distinctly brown or reddish in colour to the naked eye, mottled 

 finely with darker; the micropyle reddish, and the depression on the 

 upper surface not dark as in var. viburni ; there is no noticeable 

 dark part at the nadir of the micropyle. Under a two-thirds lens 

 the colour of the egg is seen to be white, marbled thickly over with 

 bright reddish, or brownish, opalescent patches, the depression being 

 marbled in the same manner as the rest of the egg ; the shell is 

 rather less distinctly reticulated than is that of var. viburni, but the re- 

 ticulation shows as fine shiny threads in a good light, forming a network 

 of irregular polygonal structure, the minute black points being distinctly 

 marked ; the micropyle proper is placed at one pole of the egg in a not 

 very distinctly marked depression ; the micropylar area is composed 

 of a number of very minute red-brown cells with a very tiny central 

 depression, the true micropyle ; the micropylar area is surrounded 

 by an irregular ring of pale, washed-out, red-brown colour, and the 

 irregular markings beyond are of two shades, some being pale brown, 

 others inclining to reddish-brown; the 12 eggs examined are very similar 

 in markings and coloration ; the shell reminds one of a piece of 

 opalescent tree-sparrow's egg. 



Comparison of ova of Lasiocampa var. meridionalis and L. var. 

 viburni. — The egg of L. var. meridionalis is distinctly red, whilst that 

 of L. var. viburni is distinctly ochreous in general tint ; that of the 

 former has no distinct dark patch in the depression on the long side, 

 a character which is well marked in the egg of L. var. viburni ; 

 the micropylar area of L. var. viburni forms a distinct depression, 

 that of L. var. meridionalis is very much less defined. 



Comparison of ova of Lasiocampa quercus (English) and L. 

 var. callun/E. — The two eggs are similar in their opalescent 

 appearance. We cannot think of a better simile to describe the 

 difference between the egg-shells of these two races, in colour and 

 markings, than to say that the egg of L. quercus reminds one of 

 an opalescent piece of the shell of a thickly-mottled house-sparrow's 



