78 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[April 



black, or very dark X. polyodon were present with the common form, 

 and on others only the type appeared. In a good " sugar " season, 

 species will appear which we had never seen before in the district, and 

 in fact I might refer to similiar anomalies to almost any extent. 

 What is the reason of it ? No one has the slightest idea, though we 

 are generally disposed to attribute it to meteorological conditions. It 

 is quite certain that we will never by individual effort only, be able to 

 understand the causes which produce these results, but if a series of 

 systematic observations were made in various places, and carefully 

 compared together, we might be able to discover some of the conditions 

 which give us good or bad results. For this purpose I have had some 

 forms prepared and printed for the use of sugarers, and will be glad 

 to supply any one who will use them. The meteorological observations 

 to be made are quite ordinary, filling up the sheet will not take many 

 minutes, and if they are forwarded to me once a month, little trouble 

 will be entailed, while the results may happen to be of great value. 

 I purpose to publish from time to time any extracts that may appear 

 to be of interest, and I have great faith that if a sufficient number of 

 observers take the matter up, important results will follow. Special 

 value will attach to a series of observations at one locality, but 

 solitary sugarings will compare equally well with others, and the 

 smallest help will aid in the investigation. I will forward any number 

 of printed forms, free, to any collector who will undertake to fill them 

 up and return them. For convenience of comparison, I would 

 particularly request that a separate form be used each night. Where 

 not too late, I would be glad to have observations on " Sallow " 

 collecting in the same way. 



Notes. 



Colias edusa. — It may be of slight interest to record that I bred 

 Colias edusa on ist February. On the 16th September, I obtained 

 about 60 ova, the young larvae duly emerged, but as the frosty nights 

 came on, they died off, although kept in a window facing the south, 

 with a fire occasionally in the room. Three, however, struggled on 

 and became pupae, the first on the 26th November, the other later on, 

 but ultimately damped off. — G. C. Bignell, Stonehouse, Plymouth, 

 2nd February, 1893. 



Breeding Bombyx rubi. — I have to acknowledge the usefulness 

 of some hints you gave me some time ago on rearing larvae of B. rubi. 

 I got 33 larvae at Castle Eden, and, as my last attempt at forcing was 

 not very successful, I let them hibernate. I put them in a large box 

 half full of sand, with various plants, and put them in a cold place in 



