219 



little interstice, or t;ike advantage of 

 an unevenness of the .surface : others 

 will lay more freely on a softer sub- 

 stance, as a piece of muslin or leno, 

 while some will thrust their eggs 

 through the openings of the threads, 

 nnd lay them on the outside. With 

 borne species a few rough threads 

 stretched across will be preferred. To 

 some of this group the sweetened 

 sponge may be used with advantage. 



Noctile. — While some of this group j 

 will lay in a chip box without much ' 

 Attention, they require to be fed more 

 than any other, and tin- sponge moi>- 

 pned with honey and water i> an 

 absolute necessity it you would obtain ! 

 eg^s of the Noctum. Most of the 

 species lay their eggs in batches, in 

 very regular order, and mhiip will even 

 deposit them in layers, one above 

 another. Some few, such as A. trago- 

 fogonis, insert them in ;i chink or 

 ferevice : others, such as the Dianthesia, 

 whose larvae feed in seed capsules or 

 flower heads, insert them singly by 

 means of their long ovipositor ; these 

 we never succeeded in inducing to lay 

 in confinement, nor did we ever get 

 Woctuct to pair. They frequently live ' 

 ;i long time before they begin to lay. 



In all these cases, where space is no 

 advantage, the best thing to use is a 

 chip box, and, if it lias a glass lid, you 

 will be able to see what Miccess you are : 

 having without disturbing the insect by 

 opening it. In some cases where air | 

 is required, a piece of muslin stretched ■■ 

 across, and fastened by the rim of the 

 lid, minus the top, is all that is needed. 



If more space be thought an advan- 

 tage, use one of those oval boxes in 

 which toys are sold. A paper lining, 

 rather loosely fastened, is sometimes 

 better. All species that lay at night 

 should be kept in a dark chamber, and 

 not disturbed. Even to take a light 

 into the room will stop the process. 

 Some insects will part with their eggs 

 after being half killed, and we have 

 even seen our setting boards covered 

 freely with eggs from a specimen we had 

 thought dead. Some collectors have, 

 therefore, pinned those insects they 

 desired to lay, on to a cushion, or piece 

 of paper, and, though this is often 

 successful, we would not recommend 

 the adoption of so barbarous a practice. 

 In one or two cases eggs have been 

 squeezed out of a moth that would not 

 lay, and have been successfully reared. 



Our space is more than exhausted. 

 Readers must make notes for them- 

 selves on the habits of the various 

 species, and it will generally be found 

 that insects of the same genus or family 

 will have like habits. We shall be glad 

 to publish any such. 



Our next paper will be on the treat- 

 ment of the egg and tie- young larvae. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All roirmiunications to be sent to .(. E. Kobsox, Bellerby 

 Terrace, West Hartlepool ; or to S. L. Moslky, Beau • 

 mpnt Park, Huddersfield. 



This week we print a second paper on a 

 British Mammal, and should be glad of 

 our readers' opinions on the two- 



