540 Insects. 



cus in Mr. Kirby's collection at the Entomological Society's house, is 

 much like my male, but it is larger and has clothed wings. 



P. H. Gosse. 



Kentish Town, February 28, 1844. 



Note on the capture of Colias Edusa at Yarmouth. In the month of June, 1839, 

 took near Yarmouth a faded female ; and in the autumn of the same year, about 

 dozen males of Colias Edusa. These are the only times I have met with the insect. 

 On the 14th of last October a single specimen was seen in a turnip-field in the vici- 

 nity of this city. — Henry F. Farr ; Lower Close, Norivich, March 22, 1844. 



Note on rearing the Death's-head Hawk-moth. Seeing in 'The Zoologist' that 

 there was a question about the breeding of the death's-head Sphinx (Acherontia Atro- 

 pos, Zool. 398 and 473), I will give you the manner in which I have hardly ever fail- 

 ed. When the pupa has been buried a few days, I take it out, and place it in moist, 

 friable, vegetable mould, about an inch below the surface, and moisten it every two 

 days with a little luke-warm water. — W. P. Heathcote ; Commoners' College, Winches- 

 ter, February 29, 1844. 



Note on the capture of Male Emperor Moths by means of a Female. I take the li- 

 berty of sending you the following account of the capture of male moths by means of 

 an impregnated female, for insertion in your most interesting magazine, ' The Zoolo- 

 gist.' I believe the fact that female insects when unimpregnated have the power of 

 attracting the male, in some unknown manner, is well authenticated ; but perhaps it 

 is not so commonly understood, that they will do so even after impregnation. Last 

 year, having secured a fine female of the Emperor moth (Satumia Pavonia-minor) on 

 sugar, and supposing that possibly it might not be impregnated, and consequently 

 that I might by means of it secure some males, of which I was in want, I fastened it 

 in a well secured gauze box, and exposed it in the open air. In an hour's time three 

 males approached and endeavoured to enter the box, all of which I caught almost im- 

 mediately. Being then satisfied with my captures, I took the female in doors, and 

 shut her under a tumbler while I went in search of some sulphur to destroy her. When 

 I came back, to my great astonishment I found that she had laid between sixty and 

 seventy eggs, which I preserved, not at all thinking they would be productive, as I 

 thought the fact of her having attracted the males sufficiently proved that she was un- 

 impregnated. However, the eggs all hatched. I hope you will insert this in ' The 

 Zoologist,' as perhaps some one may explain it. — Id. 



Note on the Genus Centra. The number of British species of the genus Cerura 

 appears to be imperfectly known, the comparatively few specimens that have been 

 taken varying so much that Mr. Stephens enumerates nine species, while others think 

 that there are but three or four. The scarcity of specimens is, I think, to be attri- 

 buted chiefly to the habits of the genus rendering them difficult to be discovered in 

 their preparatory stages. In the larva state they have been seldom found, C. vinula 

 excepted ; and in the pupa form still more rarely, from the manner in which the co- 

 coons are formed in the bark of the trees, on the leaves of which the larvae have fed. 

 During the past winter I and some friends have found several pupae by diligently 

 searching the trunks of various species of poplar, the greater number being on the 

 u white " and " Lombardy." It is very curious to see how well they hide themselves; 



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