126 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



orange spreads on the wing, the band, as 

 as we have already said 'becomes deeper in 

 tone, and this seems to be a sort of reverse 

 action. Some very beautiful varieties occur 

 by the coalescing of the black spots, which 

 sometimes form bands, rays, or other 

 pecularities, see Fig. 41, which is another of 



Fig. 41. 



Mr. Gregson's specimens. It often happens 

 too that the marking are not uniform on 

 each side, though this should rather be 

 called an aberration than a variety. Our 

 readers will naturally ask for the cause of 

 of all this, but we cannot reply to the ques- 

 tion. Mr. Gregson, who has perhaps been 

 more successful in breeding varieties than 

 any one else, keeps a colony of the insect 

 in his garden, and whenever opportunity 

 offers he introduces larvae from other places. 

 He attributes much of his success to this 

 crossing or introduction of " new blood," 

 and the pairing of specimens with pecu- 

 liarities. Another successful breeder of 

 varieties recommends that the larvae be fed 

 with willow, currant, and black thorn, 

 and the food frequently changed. Among 

 other anomalies connected with this insect 

 we may mention a variety of larvae that is 

 to be found in the neighbourhood of New- 

 castle-on-Tyn3. The ordinary form of the 

 larvae is remarkable, for the colors of the 

 imago being exactly the same, a fact of which 

 we know no parallel. In the variety we 

 name, the black markings increase in magni- 

 tude until, in some specimens, no trace is j 

 left of either white or yellow. The writer 

 selected some of the darkest of these larvae 

 last year, and reared them separately, and 

 from the imagines produced he obtained 



ova, and the young larvae from them 

 were all entirely black, without trace 

 of any other color. They are now 

 hybernating, and the final result shall be 

 duly recorded. Specimens of the larva occur 

 with the dark markings much decreased in 

 size, and we have heard of one pure white, 

 though we never saw one. It is remarkable 

 that the dark larvae, of which the writer has 

 reared a large number, produce the most 

 j ordinary form of the insect, never going 

 beyond the normal type, though rather dark 

 specimens have been obtained, and they 

 appear to be rather larger than usual. The 

 darkest specimens of this variety of the larva, 

 are so different looking, that no one 

 could recognize them who only knew 

 the type, and it is most extraordinary that 

 only the ordinary form of imago is produced . 

 The pupa of this insect is a remark- 

 able departure from the usual color, being 

 bright black with yellow rings. Altogether 

 the species is deserving of closer study 

 than it has yet obtained, its great abundance 

 everywhere causing it to be a desiderata 

 with none, hence it is neglected except by 

 the few who do not care for the trouble of 

 rearing a large number of specimens, for the 

 chance of obtaining a good variety. 



We have heard of a specimen entirely 

 black, could any of our readers tell us if 

 such a specimen is in existence. We never 

 saw one darker than Fig. 40. 



ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



Continued from page 110. 



TRICHOPTERA. 



The Trichoptera are included by some 

 authors with the Neuroptera, but we gave 

 last week the differences between them, 

 which, in our opinion are amply sufficient 

 for their separation. In fact there is little 

 j more than the superficial resemblance of 

 the perfect insects to warrant their being 

 placed together. The best known insects 

 among the Trichoptera are the Caddis Flies 



