THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



V. C-album. — On April 26 I caught a fine V. c-album, flying over some 

 currant bushes, and was fortunate enough to obtain a good many ova, which 

 were laid between April 27th and May 6th, always in the bright morning 

 sunshine. The eggs hatched between May 5th and 11th, and the larvse fed 

 on currant and nettle mixed, and were full-grown from June 17th till the 

 23rd. The first butterfly emerged on June 26th, and the last on July 3rd, 

 and all were very fine and of the pale summer variety. Two of the insects 

 paired on June 30th, and the female commenced laying on July 1st, and con- 

 tinued doing so till the 10th, when there were 120 ova. Unfortunately, a 

 very cold spell of weather began on July 12th, and more than half the eggs 

 perished in consequence. The seven eggs laid last all hatched in some bright 

 sun on July 15th, while a few of the earlier ones kept hatching till the 18th. 

 The larva? were divided, and one lot fed on currant and the other on nettle. 

 The butterflies emerged from August 17th till the 27th. Those fed on cur- 

 rant were decidedly finer specimens, but all were considerably paler than the 

 type. Several pairs were put together, but no ova were obtained. This 

 beautiful butterfly has been common this year, and wild pupae were found in 

 July, August, September, and October. Several larvse in the last two months 

 were found in the hop-yards by the pickers, the last butterfly appearing on 

 October 27th. Does not this prove beyond doubt that the insect is at least 

 treble-brooded ?- — (Miss) E. Hutchinson, Kimbolton, Leominster. 



Plusia gamma, V. atalanta, and Cardtji. — The chief entomological 

 event here during the past season worthy of recording has been the extraordi- 

 nary abundance of P. gamma, I have never seen it in anything like such 

 swarms since 1879. A fuchsia bush in our garden was one living grey mass 

 of the moths, and every bloom of single dahlia had two or three on it ; quite 

 a loud hum was made by the vibration of their wings. Its companion of 

 1879, V. cardui, has been entirely absent this year ; I have not seen a single 

 specimen, 1884 being the only year when it was again plentiful. V. atalanta, 

 which first appeared here in any numbers in 1884, was fairly plentiful this 

 year, but I saw very few in 1885.-(Miss) K. M. Hinchllff, Instow, N. Devon. 



Do Larv^ Hear? — Mr. J. R. S. Clifford, in his observations on "The 

 peculiarities of Orgyia gonostigma," page 255, Yol. vii., says that the larvae 

 are startled from their food by noises. Further on he adds, " I know the 

 frequent popping on shooting days was far from favourable to the increase of 

 some of the choice lepidoptera/' &c. I should like to know if it is Mr, Clif- 

 ford's opinion that these insects can hear, or whether he thinks they are 

 affected by the vibrations caused by sound? — Isabella Linnell, Hillsbro', 

 Bed Hill, Surrey, 



