THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



125 



of course is only a small part of what might be accomplished by those who 

 have time and means at their disposal. 



In the latter part of last season, I collected a quantity of acorns containing 

 larvae from which T hope to rear Juliana. Some few years ago I bred a 

 quantity of Splendana (many of which remained in the larval state for two 

 years), from this fruit, but as this insect is not known to occur at Wanstead, 

 where the acorns were collected, I expect they will prove to be Juliana. Of 

 course there are several kinds of larvae feed in acorns, but if they are put 

 into large jam pots the coleopterous larvae remain at the bottom and the 

 lepidopterous crawl to the muslin at the top. These I remove to the glass 

 cylinder cases hereafter described. Late in October I found the larvae of 

 G. acuminatella in plenty mining the large thistle leaves, and two full-grown 

 larvae of Therinella on the same plants. In December, I turned my attention 

 gall collecting, in the hope of rearing the rare Obscurana. Gall collecting is 

 certainly not profitable to follow, but it offers an inducement to the enthusi- 

 ast to go out, and you breed a few species in fine condition that perhaps can- 

 not well be collected at the time they appear. 



This year I have bred 7 Fimbriana, an insect I was again glad to see, none 

 having been reared for the last six years from the usual supply of galls. I 

 am now turning my attention to stem collecting ; — Alisma plantago for 

 JJdaua ; Stachys sylvatica for Nigricostana ; roots of ragwort for JEneana 

 and Trigeminana ; Daucus carota for Francillana and Lubrisana ; thistle- 

 stems for Cribrella, P/lugiana, and Cirsiana ; roots of Artemisia vulgaris for 

 Faneana, Simpliciana, and Alisella ; roots of Centaurea nigra for Zcegana j 

 and steins of wild parsnip for Dilucidana ; from seed-heads of Solidags vir- 

 gaurea I have bred Curvistrigana, Subroseana, Implicitana, and JEmulana) 

 from Aster tripoleum for Tripoliana and Affinitana ; from Arctium lappa for 

 Badiana; from Daucus carota for Bufillana and Depressella; from large 

 thistle heads for Cana ; from yarrow for Dipoltana and Smeatkmanniana ; 

 from Centaurea nigra for Stramineana ; from ragwort for Nigromaculana and 

 Senecionis ; besides a large number of Tinea all from seed heads. 



I find nothing answers better for rearing lepidoptera than fiWer-pots or 

 saucers filled with fine mould mixed with silver sand, a glass ring about two 

 or three inches deep, to fit just inside the rim and secured with putty. Over 

 the mould I put a supply of rotten wood (willow I find best), and cover the 

 cylinder with gauze. I have a number of these varying in size from 4 to 12 

 inches in diameter, with rings from 2 to 9 inches high. In these cages 

 many species can be fed on growing plants, add they should be kept fully 

 exposed to the influences of the weather. 



Many of the tree-feeding species I rear in the cages recommended by Dr. 

 Knaggs some years ago, as I find they answer very well. 



