1890.] 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



229 



(Desin), the rarest and most extraordinary member of the Coleoptera," giving an 

 account of its structure and probable affinities, and exhibited one of the nine speci- 

 mens known to exist, and various members of other families with which it had been 

 compared. 



During the Conversazione, the President exhibited some fine varieties of Abraxas 

 grosulariata ; Mr. Newstead Acherontia atropos, large nests of wasps, and the only 3 

 specimens known of a unique coccid Otthezia occidentalis, sent him for figuring by Mr. 

 J. W. Douglas ; Mr. Gardner, Goldart's " Metamorphosis et Historia Naturalis 

 Insectorum," A.D. 1662 ; Rev. H. H. Higgins, Apatura pavoni ; and by Mr. C. S. 

 Gregson 100 varieties of Abraxas grosulariata, picked out of 4000 specimens bred by 

 him in 1890. — F. N. Pierce, Hon. Sec. 



DEILEPHILA GALII. 



By C. S. GREGSON. 



I promised the Editor last year to give him the results of my ac- 

 quaintance with this insect and its larva. But tke discussion has 

 gone on so long that my remarks have been delayed till now. My 

 knowledge of this species extends over so long a time that I feel as 

 though the speculations we have had from various writers are based 

 on very superficial data. The larva was abundant in 1888 ; they were 

 collected in some numbers, fed in shallow boxes in which they were 

 obliged to pupate in or near the surface amongst the food plant. In the 

 breeding cages of my friends, I saw scores that had pupated in this way. 

 Next they were forced into the perfect state by artificial heat. Mr. 

 Capper, Mr.Corbett, Dr. Ellis, Mr. Walker, and many others, so forced 

 theirs and as Mr. Tugwell had his out so early, I presume they were 

 forced also. Mine, which were not forced, remained in pupa till summer, 

 and some remained over till the second year. The blown-over theory 

 rested upon the occasional abundance of the species, and assumed 

 that it was never to be seen at any other time. In years gone by we 

 used to obtain specimens from the cinder-kiln men at Potter Hill, near 

 Wharncliffe, Yorkshire. These we could get every year, more or less 

 burnt by flying to the fires at night ; but our series of Galii were 

 thought worth looking at then, even if some of them were slightly 

 damaged by the fire. Mr. Harris's fine set of Galii were got in the 

 fifties at Maryport, on the coast of Cumberland ; and I also, as well 



