218 



THE YOUNG NATUBALIST. 



them kept in a glass-covered breeding 

 cage, with perforated zinc sides, but 

 they appear to beat themselves very 

 much againsl glass, which does not 

 afford I hem a secure foothold. We 

 have tried with some success a Large 

 bag of green leno tied over the top of a 

 flowerpot, and kept open by bent wires, 

 which were secured in the flowerpot. 

 Portions of the food plant were passed 

 through the hole at the bottom into a ! 

 vessel of water to keep them fresh, or 

 with grass feeders, a sod was placed in 

 the flowerpot, and watered. We never 

 succeeded in obtaining eggs of the 

 hybernated Vanessidce, but Mrs. Hut- 

 chinson appears to have been wonder- 

 fully successful with G. C-album (sec 

 page 124). We once had P/Uceas 

 which laid some eggs in a chip box, but 

 as a rule ii will be found that sun, air, 

 space, and the food plant are all 

 heeded. Except those whose larvae 

 feed in company, Butterflies do not 

 deposit many eggs in one day: it is 

 therefore necessary to supply them with 

 food, which may be done by inserting 

 a small piece of sponge moistened with 

 honev and water, which must be often 

 renewed. 



Sphinges.: — Some of the Hawk Moths 

 part with their eggs freely enough. 

 The beginner had better practise with 

 8. populi. This species and others 

 may be paired in confinement, or, if a 

 virgin female be taken out, the males 

 will " assemble ; ' to pay court to her. 

 Hybrids between popuU and occellatus 

 have been obtained both by pairing 

 them in confinement, and by the male 



of one species coming to the female of 

 the other when taken out to attract 

 males of her own species. Those that 

 fly by day in the sun, such as the 

 Hun lining Bird Hawkf M. stelkbtarum M 

 Sec, will need to be treated like the 

 Butterflies, if, indeed, eggs can be ob- 

 tained at all. Stellata/rum deposits her 

 ova. as she takes her food, while on the 

 wing ; and she flies so quickly, and so 

 far, that we doubt if she could be in- 

 duced to lay in confinement. If it has 

 been done we should be pleased to 

 hear particulars . Some Sphinge s . such 

 as Atropos and Convolvidi, probably 

 hybernate before they lay, but we arc 

 not aware any success has resulted 

 from attempts to pair and hybernate 

 them. 



Bombyces.— Most of the Bombyces 

 pair and deposit their eggs very readily 

 in confinement, hence there are far 

 i more bred specimens of this group in 

 I our collections than of others. Some 

 few fly in the sunshine, but most of 

 ': these do not deposit their eggs till 

 night : therefore the admission of the 

 sun's rays does not seem necessary. 

 ; There are one or two — the day-flying 

 j Hook-tips, for instance — where this 

 can be done with advantage. This 

 I group is composed principally of 

 : tongueless insects, but the LithodJce 

 and others will partake of sweets, and 

 to them the sponge named above may 

 be introduced with advantage. 



Geometry:. — Many Geometrce will lav 

 their eggs in the ordinary chip box, but 

 some of them have different habits to 

 others, and will thrust them into any 



