iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



35 



with holes in the bottom (used by gardeners) ; of course, covering the 

 holes over, and put them out in the open air, covering them with wire 

 netting to keep cats off. I stuck the twigs in the sand and left them 

 out all through the winter— in all weathers. At times they were 

 piled with snow, but I think it best to imitate nature as much as 

 possible. They pupate in the resinous substance, and leave the cases 

 sticking out when they emerge. — Geo. Elisha, Shepherden Walk. 



Larvae. 



PiERis Brassica Larv.t3 — In strong contrast to Mr. A. E. Hall's note 

 (ante. 8), I may meution that in the autumn of 1889, I collected some 

 half-gross of these larvae (mostly full fed), and many of P. napi. They 

 were feeding on the common Nasturtium leaves, on plants climbing 

 up the back of my house. Everyone of these duly changed to pupa, 

 and the perfect insects appeared last May— not a single ichneumon in 

 the whole lot. I must admit, though, that " egg spitted" larvae are 

 generally to be seen in numbers on fences, and it is perhaps as well 

 that the larvae is so often thus affected, otherwise it would be even 

 more destructive in gardens, &c., than it is. — E. Sabine, The Villas, 

 Erith, Jan. 24, 1891. 



Hibernating of Arctia caja larvae. — Early in September last 

 (3rd to 6th) I had 440 eggs deposited by a $ oi Arctia caja in three 

 batches, on three different days. The first batch hatched out in a few 

 days, fed up rapidly in a warm room, and made up on October 20th. 

 The second batch hatched on the 21st day, fed slowly, and hibernated 

 when about half grown. The third batch did not hatch till the 34th 

 day, and hibernated very small on 15th November. — C. S. Gregson, 

 Liverpool. 



Larvae op A. caja hibernating (J. E. Robson, ante 9). — I have 

 for years noticed the tendency of the second brood of these larvae to 

 outrun one another in growth. Sometimes only a few will be thus 

 affected, at others many. When this is the case I always endeavour, 

 by warmth and other means, to coax them up to maturity and pupation, 

 (about 15 years ago I bred several imagines on Christmas Day), as I 

 have found that unless they can be got into the pupal stage, they in- 

 variably die off sooner or later, whereas those larvae that have given 

 over feeding in the early stage can generally be carried safely through 

 the winter and early spring, until the feeding time again comes round. 



