4812 Insects. 



this species sometimes exists very nearly a twelvemonth in the perfect state is a fact, 

 having myself had a female alive from August till the beginning of May ; aucl I have 

 seen specimens in June which were most certainly disclosed the previous summer. 

 Many species which hybernate live as long, especially in cold, backward seasons. 

 An outhouse on my premises is a very favourite hybernating-place with Gonoptera 

 libatrix. I have often seen two or three dozens sitting on a beam. They first enter 

 the place at the end of August, very soon after emerging from the pupae ; and this year, 

 owing no doubt to the cold, late spring, some of them did not move till the middle of 

 June; and last night (July 13th) I saw three or four specimens at sugar, which of 

 course had survived the winter, and were still in very good condition. Before quit- 

 ting the subject I may just observe that in warm seasons a few specimens of species 

 which are usually single-brooded will appear in the autumn, but they are invariably 

 barren. Last autumn I had the eggs of a female Aplecta occulta sent to me. When 

 they hatched, a few of the larvae grew much more rapidly than the others, became 

 pupa?, and in October produced fine specimens of the imago, the larger portion of the 

 larva? at that time being very small, and having ceased feeding for the winter. The 

 same thing has occurred with Aplecta herbida,Cerura furcula, &c. — Henri/ Doubleday ; 

 Epping, July 14, 1855. 



Gonepteryx Rhamni double-brooded.— On this subject the * Zoologist' contains the 

 opinions of three naturalists: first, that of Mr. Hawker (Zool. 4650), that the species 

 is double-brooded ; second, that of Mr. Newman (Zool. 4706), that there is but one 

 brood during the year ; third, that of Mr. Bree (Zool. 4740), that there are two flights 

 in the year, with a disposition to believe there are two broods also within that period ; 

 and, lastly, there are the funny remarks of Mr. Hawker (Zool. 4765). Now, it is 

 very curious that three persons who have had opportunities of observing should have 

 written on this subject, and yet have advanced nothing more than "opinions" about 

 the matter. Not a word is said about the history of the insect, except the quotation 

 from Haworth, that both (t males and females live through the winter," and that "the 

 female deposits her eggs in the spring." I have a fact to state which is a real step 

 towards settling the point in dispute ; but first I wish to remark on the theory set forth 

 by Mr. Bree, that " the perfectly fresh and brilliant condition in which some at least 

 of the vernal specimens appeared showed that they could not have hybernated, but 

 must have emerged from the chrysalis at that early season.'' The " practical entomo- 

 logist" who made this profound remark could have had very little experience on the 

 subject of which he spoke ; for it is well known that, as a rule, the specimens of such 

 species of insects as hybernate lay up for the winter almost immediately upon exclu- 

 sion from the chrysalis. They thus get no injury by flying, and, as many would 

 remain during winter in places quite secure and defended from the weather, such spe- 

 cimens would emerge in the spring perfectly fresh and brilliant. Mr. Hawker's 

 observations may very well be left for Mr. Newman to reply to : it appears to me that 

 he makes out from Mr. Newman's words a great deal more than they imply; and the 

 inferences are very curious. Now for my fact. On the 31st ult., at Mickleham, I 

 saw plenty of the larvae of G. Rhamni, in all stages of growth, on Rhamnus catharti- 

 ticus, and saw a, faded imago flying, but could not catch it. On the 5th inst., at Da- 

 renth Wood, the larvae, also of various sizes, were abundant on Rhamnus Frangula ; 

 and I caught, flying, a female imago, of which the colour is faded and the wings rag- 

 ged. I could from these facts easily build up a theory which would read as well as 

 some wc have had before us; but I only say that the caterpillars I saw must be the 



