SESIA STELLATARUM. 19 



jected to a forcing treatment died. As to the second point, we our- 

 selves have frequently observed the imago in houses in the early 

 part of winter. Fletcher has observed (Buckler's Larvae, &c., 

 ii., p. 119) that he has seen many examples swept from an out-house 

 in autumn mornings as though they had gone in for shelter through 

 the coming winter. Haworth noted a specimen taken at Christmas, 

 and suggested that the species hybernated in the imaginal stage; whilst 

 Stephens observes that there are three broods of imagines in a year, 

 in April, June and August, some of the latter brood having been 

 known to hybernate. Newman states (Ent., ii., p. 328) that 

 the late-emerging imagines crawl into a corner of a breeding 

 cage or the cornice of a sitting-room and remain perfectly quies- 

 cent throughout the flowerless season. As to the third point, 

 Shackell notes a specimen (E.M.M., ii., p. 209), observed at 

 Carmarthen, buzzing in a window on December 24th, 1865. 

 Barrett records (Ent., xxxiv., p. 21) six or seven examples 

 coming into a house at Margate, during October, 1900, to hyber- 

 nate, one being still in his bedroom in December, 1900 ; he 

 offers no evidence for his statement (Joe. cit., p. 296) that there 

 is only one brood, and that the imagines hybernate from October 

 to May or June ; Bartel, however, makes practically the same 

 statement (Die Palaeark. Gross-Schmett., ii., p. 216), viz., that the moths 

 emerge in Germany from July to October, hybernate, and are then 

 found in May and June ; Stainton also says (Ent. Wk. Int., i., 

 p. 21) that the imagines reappear in April after hybernation, as 

 also do Horton and others, but without offering any evidence on 

 the subject. Woodforde's note (in litt.) that he found an imago 

 hybernating in a house at Taunton on February 2nd, i860, and 

 Willson's observation that he saw one flying in a room at Port- 

 slade on February 8th, 1894, afford much better evidence than is 

 usually offered. Its appearance indoors must not, however, be altogether 

 taken as proving hybernation, for Swinton states that, in Jerusalem, 

 from March to June, at a time when the species is most active, it is 

 frequently seen in sleeping apartments, which are usually more 

 exposed to the sunshine than the sitting-rooms, and that imagines 

 were frequently dislodged from the fringe of Parietaria that festoons 

 the entrance to the numerous rock-hewn caves. He also adds that 

 the imagines visit the vessels as they ride at anchor during the day 

 off the Syrian harbours. The mere entrance into houses, therefore, 

 is not altogether convincing evidence of intent to hybernate 

 unless stay for some time can be shown, and Raynor notes the 

 moths as especially abundant in the autumn of 1899, at Hazeleigh, both 

 at mornings and dusk, the insects entering rooms in the evening 

 for a safe resting-place till morning, and remaining pressed close up to 

 the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling, and, in this 

 position, not easily seen, whilst Grote observes that they 

 repeatedly enter conservatories and houses at Hildesheim. A 

 newly - emerged imago came into my room at Chamonix, on 

 August 1 6th, 1902, and flew about the room for some time, and 

 the same thing happened several times at Susa in August, 1897, but, 

 when undisturbed, the moths soon found their way out again. Fowler 

 notes (Ent., xxvii., p. 143) the imagines as being very abundant in 

 the house in the autumn of 1893, at Ringwood, flying against 



