164 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
hollowed by Atropos in ihe earth 
is waterproof, as a damp heat ap- 
pears essential to success in rear- 
ing; them. I have had Atropos 
before. The shortest time of ex- 
istence as pupa I ever noticed was 
in the case of one in 1852, which 
came out on the seventeenth day 
after it entered the earth ; this was 
kept damp in a case with moss on 
the kitchen mantel-piece. I con- 
sider myself very fortunate to rear 
both the D. Galii when hal f my spe- 
cimens of Atropos died. — Alfred 
F. Sealy, 70, Tnmpington Street, 
Cambridge ; January 7, 1857. 
In reply to the question of 
“ C. A. A.” and the editor’s note 
on the subject of A. Atropos and 
C. which appeared in last 
week’s ‘ Substitute,’ I may mention 
that dryness in the breeding-cage 
usually kills the pupae of A. Atro- 
pos, at least as far as my expe- 
rience goes. I may here quote .a 
remark of Mr. Haworth’s, which I 
find in Westwood & Humphrey’s 
‘ British Moths.’ “ Perhaps in a 
state of Nature they (i.c. the 
larvae of Atropos) perform their 
extraordinary metamorphoses 
deeper in the ground, and conse- 
quently in a moister and more 
equal temperature than most other 
species oi Lepidoptera ; and if so, 
the cause of their perishing in our 
breeding - cages is undoubtedly 
owing to their having in their cages 
too scanty and dry a soil.” (Vol. I., 
p. 12.) This T can confirm, 
having observed that the larva of 
Atropos buries itself five or six 
inches deep. This may account 
for the abundance of the moth at 
some seasons, and its rarity at 
others. For if the surface of the 
ground be hard and dry the moth 
will be unable to force its way 
out : probably if the heat of this 
year be not sufficient the moth 
may remain in pupa till another 
season. This is conjecture ; but it 
is certain that if the autumn be 
w'arm they occasionally change to 
the perfect insect then, otherwise 
not till the next summer. The 
larvae of C. Elpenor feed on plants 
growing in moist situations, and 
therefore the larvae require such 
in which to undergo their trans- 
formations. I have frequently 
lost both Elpenor and poreellus by 
keeping them dry, but usually 
succeeded in rearing them when 
kept moist. — I d. 
The Cabinet Question. — Your 
leading article of November 29th 
led me to wonder what price a 
cabinet could be made for, and 
knowing something of the trade, 
by having a good deal of cabinet 
work made for instruments I 
manufacture, I thought I would 
get up a cheap one for myself, 
which will be finished in a fort- 
night. To commence: — The 
drawers are large, being 20 inches 
by 16 inches and 2 inches deep ; 
the bottom of them is made of the 
softest pine, perfectly free from 
knots, and may possibly not re- 
quire corking ; the four sides are 
made of the best pencil cedar; the 
glass will rest on (illets of cedar 
fixed round the inside. The case 
is made of pine well seasoned, 
stained to imitate mahogany, and 
French polished, so that few 
would know what wood it really 
was ; the door is panelled, and 
when open show's a front of twenty 
cedar drawers, has a lock and key, 
and is a handsome piece of furni- 
ture. The expense of the above 
to me will be a little under £3, 
glass, corking, liniijg, &c., of 
