4902 Insects. 



which have gone through their changes prematurely, and are all barren. I have found 

 the larvae of A. Selene in the early spring sunning themselves on the dead leaves. 

 I never saw the larva of A. Euphrosyne. — Henry Doubleday ; Epping, October 10, 

 1855. 



Double-broodedness of Gonepteryx Rhamni. — It is said that discussion elicits 

 truth, and I hope it will do so in the present instance: I observe that while those 

 gentlemen who advocate the double-broodedness of G. Rhamni have advanced no 

 single fact in support of their opinion, those on the opposite side appeal to facts only. 

 I have been an entomologist for thirty years, and I learned from positive observation 

 in the second year of my collecting that there was but one brood of G. Rhamni in the 

 year. Nothing can be more clear or more familiar to practical collectors. The hyber- 

 nated insects are abundant in May: the female lays her eggs ; the larva feeds in June 

 and July ; the perfect insect soon appears on the wing, and continues to fly until 

 October, when it generally secretes itself for the winter. Mr. C. R. Bree infers from 

 what he knows of the history of Speranza conspicuaria that the same history will serve 

 for G. Rhamni. Inference is not fact. The facts, as repeatedly stated about G. Rhamni, 

 are totally different. Mr. Bree draws another inference totally at variance with fact: 

 he infers that hybernation is accidental or casual, and opposed to the whole scheme of 

 insect-life ; now, not only in G. Rhamni, but in polychloros, Io, Urticae and Atalanta, 

 it always lakes place, and the only inference to be fairly drawn from the fact is that it 

 always will. — H. J. Harding ; 1, York Street, Church Street, Shoreditch, October 11, 

 1855. 



[I can now positively state, from my own observations, made during 1855, that 

 Gonepteryx Rhamni is only single-brooded. The term, however, should be ex- 

 plained. The first warm days of spring invite the perfect butterflies, which 

 invariably hybernate, from their winter hiding-places: they copulate in May, and 

 lay eggs on the buckthorn a few days after copulation : the caterpillars feed as 

 soon as the leaves are ready for them : they are full-fed early in July, and 

 become pupae: these again become butterflies early in August: these butterflies 

 never copulate or lay eggs during the remainder of the year; but on the first frost 

 retire to winter quarters, emerging only on hot sunny days, until the following spring. 

 Thus one cycle of animal life occupies an entire year, and this is what I call single- 

 brooded. I hope I may without offence express an opinion at variance with that 

 of Mr. C. R. Bree at p. 4872 : Mr. Bree's opinion is couched in these words, " Depend 

 upon it that hybernation of the imago is an accidental or casual occurrence. It is 

 opposed to the whole scheme of insect-life." I have no hesitation in stating that in 

 many species of Lepidoptera I have found hybernation of the imago to be the positive 

 and constant rule. I have gone so far as to keep late pupae of some of the Vanessae 

 in a very cold and dark cellar, with a view of retarding the assumption of the butterfly 

 state ; nevertheless most of ihem changed, and might be seen sitting on the walls and 

 ceilings all the winter ; and the few which remained unchanged until spring never 

 became butterflies at all. I am doubtful whether the pupae of these insects can with- 

 stand the cold of winter like those of the genus Pieris ; but whether this be the case 

 or no, I cannot for a moment doubt that it is for some good end in the economy of 

 Nature that an Allwise Providence has ordered that certain of the insect-tribes should 

 pass the winter as eggs, others as larvae, others as pupae, and the rest as perfect insects ; 

 the object of this rule may be inscrutable to us, but this is no ground for discrediting 

 the evidence of our senses. — Edward !Scwman.~] 



