36 The Humming Bird. 



oblongus) , from Africa, which I spoke of in my former article. 

 An interesting case to collectors of British insects was one 

 containing young larvae of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary 

 Butterfly (Argynnis Euphrosyne) , which were hatched from 

 ova laid by a wild-caught female from Kent. 



Some curious insects were to be seen in one of the large 

 cases, namely, a great number of Stick-insects (Diapheromera 

 femorata) , from Canada. As their name implies, these 

 extraordinary creatures resemble twigs of trees, being from 

 three to four inches, and extremely slender, varying in colour 

 from light-green to brown. The antennae are very long, 

 thin, and tapering, the legs been alsoattenuated and lengthened. 

 Many of them, especially those of a light colour, bear a 

 remarkable resemblance to the skeleton of a leaf, the remain- 

 ing portion of which, has been eaten by some insect, leaving 

 the principal ribs or veins bare. These insects are interesting 

 on account of this being the third generation in succession 

 raised in the Insect House from the original ova, and yet they 

 do not show the slightest deterioration either in size or vigour. 

 They feed on the leaves of plants, like the locusts and grass- 

 hoppers, and judging from the voracity which these specimens 

 exhibited, I should imagine that they must be very destructive 

 where found in any number. 



There were several species of Silk-moths in cases close 

 to the Stick-insects, one being the Cecropian Silk-moth' 

 (Samia cecropia) , a large species from North America, the 

 prevailing colour of which is a warm gray, with a reddish 

 crescent-shaped mark in the centre of each wing. It is a fine 

 moth, very easily reared in this country. Another species was 

 the Polyphemus Silk-moth (Telea polyphemus) , also North 

 American ; this is another good-sized moth, somewhat re- 

 sembling the genus Antherea in the shape of the wings and 

 general appearance. The colour is tawny, with a large 

 circular spot, denude of scales, in the centre of the hind 

 wings, which spot is surrounded by a patch of dark-coloured 

 scales. In the next case were living specimens of the 

 American Moon-moth (Actias lunaj , which is smaller than 

 the Indian species mentioned at the commencement of this 

 article, but like it, light green in colour, with a white crescent 

 in the centre of each wing, and with the hind wings prolonged 

 into " tails." 



Turning my attention to the cases on the centre tables, 

 the first to catch my eye was one containing specimens of the 

 Silver- washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) , from the New 

 Forest, Hampshire. This is one of the finest species found 



