194 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



brown, of Bifida and Farcula black, 

 BicusjAs we never saw. 



The eggs of the Geometrce are often 

 very beautiful objects, and sometimes 

 are very large in proportion to the size 

 of the perfect insect. Like those of 

 other groups they are deposited in all 

 sorts of situations, loose or attached, 

 singly, or in large or small batches. 

 The eggs of the Mallow Moth ( E. cer- 

 vinata) are scattered loosely in the 

 neighbourhood of the food plant, which 

 dies down in winter, but grows again 

 from the same root the succeeding 

 year. These are small yellow eggs, 

 and the moth appearing quite late in 

 autumn, they do not hatch till spring. 

 Others that pass the winter in this 

 state are deposited in the chinks of 

 bark, at the axils of the leaves, or ex- 

 posed on the twigs of the food. Those 

 that hatch the same year, are more 

 generally attached to the food itself. 

 Those that feed on the leaf are some- 

 times on the upper surface, but much 

 more frequently on the under part of 

 the leaf, and when deposited singly, or 

 in small numbers, they are often near 

 the midrib. The eggs of flower feeders, 

 such as the Eupithecia are most likely 

 to be found about the sepals, or on the 

 stalk close to the flower head. A 

 knowledge of the habits of the larva 

 will often guide the intelligent egg 

 hunter to the object of his search. 



The eggs of the Noctuce are often 

 deposited in large masses on the under 

 side of the leaves of low plants, and 

 though they may often be found when 

 searching for larvae, they are certainly 



not easy to discover, but again a know- 

 ledge of the habits of the larvre will 

 ! greatlyassist in the search. The females 

 of the seed feeding genus Diantheecvk 

 | have long ovipositors, which enabk 

 < them to insert their eggs in the capsule 

 , of the various species of Silene anc 

 Lyeh.iis, on which their larvae subsist 

 I If a few of these capsules were gathered 

 I and carefully examined at home, the 

 egg would most certainly reward the 

 pain -taking entomologist. Other genen 

 with long ovipositors deposit their eggi 

 I in the chinks of bark . 



This branch of collecting, on whicl 

 | Ave have scarcely touched, having 

 | only named one or two of the com 

 moner species in each genus, has b<;ei 

 very little followed, and there ar» 

 j many interesting discoveries to maki 

 in reference to the deposition of th 

 egg ; the manner in which it is con 

 cealed from it enemies, or protectee 

 from the cold of winter ; the care o 

 some species that their unborn offspriri) 

 shall find their food without difficulty 

 the apparent neglect of others to tak 

 similar precautions ; the instinct b 

 which the female knows the prope 

 kind of food to provide, even when ther 

 are no leaves upon it ; these, and 

 thousand and one other matters woul< 

 make egg hunting both pleasant an 

 profitable. We commend it then t 

 the careful attention of our youn 

 friends, and would say, in conclusion 

 that so very little is known on the sul 

 ject that all observations are valuable 

 Search then for eggs, and "when founc 

 make a note on," and send it to us fo 



