Insects. 



6249 



plants, the eggs being placed among the foliage, and not removed until after the last 

 month preparatory to their going down. I did not this season rear N. ziczac from 

 the egg, considering the facts produced last year to be conclusive, but Mr. Greene, in 

 the 'Naturalist,' raises the objection that my experiments were wiili insects in an 

 "abnormal" state. What has he to object to in the following.^ On July 17 1 took 

 twenty-two full-fed larvae of N. ziczac, twenty of which went down immediately (two 

 dying). One imago emerged August 12th, eleven on the 13th, three on the 14th and 

 live on the 15th ; the pupae were out of doors most of the time: they were of course the 

 produce of the May moth, and will be admitted to have been reared in a "normal" 

 state. These results require no comment, they sufficiently speak for themselves. I 

 hope the opponents of double-broodedness have also been pursuing similar researches, 

 and are prepared to lay the results before the public, or to accept these as conclusive. 

 I wish to draw particular attention to the following by Mr. Greene, in the 'Naturalist' 

 of May last: alluding to Mr. Crewe's remarks, he says, " His (Mr. Crewe's) answer to 

 my main, I may say my only, objection is not satisfactory. My objection was and is, 

 that of the pupas dug up even as early as the beginning of August, there is no instance 

 on record of the perfect insect appearing from them the same year." I now produce 

 the "instance" Mr. Greene requires, for undoubtedly those of N. ziczac might have 

 been dug up "early in August," if I had not taken the larva just before going down ; 

 they produced the moth the " same year," without forcing, after being in the pupa 

 state about three weeks (the duration exactly corresponding with my experiments of 

 last year). Mr. Greene goes on to say, " I dig at poplars, oaks, elms, &c., all the year 

 round, but I never found a pupa of either (dictaea or camelina) between the first week 

 in June and the last in July.'' The reason is evident; these insects being double- 

 brooded are in the larva state during the time mentioned, and therefore, as Mr. Greene 

 says, not to be found in the pupa. I have taken the larva of N. dictaea in July, which 

 produced the moth in August; I have again taken larvae in September, which produced 

 the perfect insect in May or June. I breed from these, again producing the moths in 

 August, and at the time I am writing I have young larvae of both N. dictaea and P. 

 palpina feeding, the produce of the above, which will doubtless produce the perfect 

 insect next spring. — George Gascoyne ; Newark^ September^ 1858. 



Cerura bicuspis and Acronycta Alni, — I took, on Thursday last, the 12th instant; 

 a fine larva of C. bicuspis, and on Saturday, the 14th, the larva of A. Alni, nearly 

 full grown ; both of them appear to relish in confinement the alder, upon the leaves of 

 which I found them. I also found, on the 12th, two Coleophora larvae, feeding in the 

 seed-pods of the gorse or furze. My friend, Mr. Wilkinson, says they will be C. albi- 

 costa. — R. Cook ; 10, Castle Crescent, Scarborough, August 16, 1858. — 'Intelligencer.* 



Occurrence of Timandra prataria near Folkestone. — I took a good specimen of this 

 Geometra near Folkestone the latter part of July last, but though I searched well for a 

 week, 1 was unable to meet with another. — H, Tompkins; i4, Guildford Street, 

 Russell Square, London, September 16, 1858. 



Sterrha sacraria a British Insect, — There is a record of the capture of a second 

 specimen of Sterrha sacraria on the wrapper of the September ' Zoologist ; ' I call it a 

 fourth British specimen of sacraria. I possess the first, taken by Mr. Hovvse, near 

 Bristol; Mr. Beading records a second, taken near Plymouth ; Dr. Battersby, a third, 

 taken near Torquay; Mr. Barrett's is, therefore, the fourth; unless some further 

 information be given, perhaps his specimen may also be doubted.—/. C. Dale; 

 Glanvilles Wootton, near Shcrbourne, September 13, 1858. 



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