I89I.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



173 



The main difficulty one has to contend with in rearing these 

 autumnal larvse, is to keep the debris among which they have spun 

 up from getting too dry, or if the cages are not well ventilated, from 

 getting mouldy, which it is pretty sure to do unless the air can pass 

 freely through the sides, and I have found, by long experience, the 

 plan that succeeds best, is to put all the cages out in the open air on 

 the earth, under which a thick layer of broken flower pots or coarse 

 cinders has been put, so as to ensure free drainage. The larvae put 

 into flower pots must have a covering of glass, a little raised above 

 the top of the pot as a protection from excessive rain during their 

 long spell of quietude, the porous nature of the flower pot absorbing 

 enough moisture to keep them sufficiently damp, but many others, the 

 Coleophova especially, require no such protection, but do far better if 

 put into cages having free ventilation all round, top as well, and left 

 to the full force of all kinds of weather during the winter, protecting 

 them in any way only adds to the risk of losing them. 



And now as most of the larvae we have taken during the earlier 

 months of the year have emerged by this time, we must prepare our 

 cages for the great number we shall be able to obtain during the next 

 few months, and as to the shape of these cages, there is really no rule 

 to go by, anything will do, so long as ventilation and free drainage can 

 be secured, but the main fact one has constantly to remember, for it 

 is most important, is to imitate nature in all these matters, that is, as 

 we find the larvae in the natural state, so we must try to imitate it as 

 near as possible when we put them in the cages, with the food plant 

 fresh and in its natural position, giving plenty of fresh air, and the 

 chances are we shall be fairly well pleased with the result. 



The weather during this month being all in our favour, gives plenty 

 of opportunities of going further away from home to search for some 

 of the species we now ought to obtain, and to that end will again take 

 one of our pleasant rambles along some quiet country lane, for all of 

 them at this time of year have plenty of attractions for us. We are 

 not long before the crumpled up leaves of the Wayfaring tree (Vibur- 

 num lantana ) arrests our attention, on opening one of them we 

 find the larva of P. tristana busily at work eating away the leaf, and 

 in the drawn together leaves of sallow the larva of P. lecheana. The 

 leaves of the Buckthorn (Rliamnus frangula) must also be examined 

 towards the end of the month, when some of the leaves will be found 



