149 
. The moths have lately emerged, and the result is, that for every specimen of 
) ordinary type five negroes have appeared, but not one of the intermediate 
•iety. Perhaps you may think this worth a corner in your Magazine. — J. L. 
UETiCE, 22, College Street West, N.W. 
Note on Scoparia ZeUeri. — The specimen of Scoparia Zelleri mentioned by Dr. 
laggs in this month's "Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," p. 131, was captured 
me in the station at Norwood junction, on the 17th August, last year (1867). 
r friend, Mr. Wormald, was with me at the time, and we were just returning 
m a rather unsuccessful expedition to West Wickham, the night being rather 
d for the time of year, with an east or north-east wind blowing. We had only 
iched the station a minute or two, when we observed the insect flying near a 
ap. Mr. Wormald had folded up his net, and I was about to do the same, when 
fifected the capture. On examining it some days after, we thought it could not 
Scoparia cemhrm ; so on the 27th of the same month we took it to Dr. Knaggs, 
3 as he appeared uncertain about it I left it with him, he kindly offering to see 
he could identify it with any described species. It has been in his possession 
3r since, and I suppose he must have overlooked the fact of his having had it so 
ig, as he calls it a "second specimen." — H. Pkyer, Holly Village, N.W. 
Yama-Mai culture. — As many of your readers may have heard of, or experienced, 
isiderable disappointment in the attempt to rear these useful creatures, perhaps 
ew words from one who has been more fortunate may not be devoid of interest. 
I am indebted to my friend Mr. Gascoyne, of Newark, for fifty fine eggs, the 
iduce of his own English-bred examples. They were nearly all fertile, hatching 
t young larvae of such a size as to make it more than usually mysterious how 
sir receptacle, large as it was, could contain them. The young worms were 
iced at once upon shi-ubs of the common oak (forced forwardi some six weeks in 
ticipatiou of their emergence), and were never subsequently touched. The little 
ses were in a large pedestal fernery of glass, between three and four feet in 
imeter and height, and with a perforated zinc window before and behind. They 
I pretty well until their first moult, when many died. 
I had been cautioned to keep them dry ; and, beyond an occasional watering 
refuUy applied to the oaks at their roots, this advice was implicitly followed. 
I each succeeding moult many failed, until ten individuals alone comprised my 
lole stock. By this time their trees had been nearly bitten bald, but having a 
rkey oak in the garden (then in tender green leaflets), pending the providing 
ler pabulum, I gathered some bunches, and, saturating asponge, tied it round 
3ir stems. Two circumstances struck me. First, they left what remained of 
Bir previous food, and attached themselves so entirely to their later, that the 
iglish oak took heai-t to bud out again, and even get into small leaves. 
Next, I constantly observed them (big fellows now) di-inking away at the 
onge, like haymakers at their beer-keg ! From that time I sprinkled their 
ugha occasionally ; their succeeding moults were accomplished without the loss 
a single specimen ; with one exception, all the rest spun noble cocoons, and I 
d no fm-ther anxiety about them. 
