1830.] 
133 
and beginning of the present month, I beat a large quantity of furze 
( TIlex europceus) and broom ( Sarothamnus scoparius ), without any 
result, and I had almost despaired of obtaining the young, although 
the perfect insect was in swarms, until at last I observed one or tw r o 
little creatures emerge from amongst some broom-leaves which I had 
beaten into an inverted umbrella. They appeared to be the object of 
my search, so I cut a few twigs of broom and put them and the insects 
together in my collecting bottle. On arriving at home, I turned them 
out into one of my breeding pots, and, in about a couple of days I had 
the satisfaction of seeing the first bred specimen of Arytcena genista. 
The pellets of excrement which they emit are large, milky-white, some- 
what oval bodies, and are sometimes, I believe, joined together by a 
fine thread, or, perhaps, tube. 
Nymph. — Yellowish-green. Head broad, flattish, convex in front, with a few 
stout, long, black liairs in front. Crown dark brown, divided down the centre 
bj a yellowish-green streak, widest next the base. Eyes large, pink. Antennce : 
four basal joints yellowish-green, remainder black. Thorax yellowish-green, with 
two short, longitudinal black streaks on each side next the eljtra-lobes, and five pairs 
>f black fovere placed more internally. Hlytra-Jobes brown, outer margin with about 
line stout black hairs pointing somewhat anteriorly; disc with a few semi-erect black 
hairs running longitudinally. Legs yellowish-green, or sometimes brownish. Tibice 
with a row of stout black hairs down the anterior margin. Tarsi black. Abdomen 
above yellowish-green, lower half brown, darkest next the margin ; two basal seg- 
ments with a black streak on each side in the incision ; margin with a long, stout, 
black hair at the base of each segment, disc very sparingly clothed with black hairs ; 
underneath yellowish-green, or sometimes of a pink colour in the centre, with two 
pairs of rectangular black patches; margins of the segments yellowish-brown. 
Burnt Ash Hill, Lee : 
September 18 th, 1880. 
Orgyia antiqua. — In the last No. of the Magazine I noticed a question by Mr. 
J. W. Douglas (p. 114), respecting the enforced celibacy of Orgyia antiqua <$ , from 
which it appears that he only allows one male to each female developed ; this is 
without question what the study of other Lepidoptera would lead one to believe in, 
but in the case of the “ Yapourer” there are lamentable exceptions to the general 
rule. 
Some years ago I bred a number of specimens of this moth, carefully separating 
the sexes in the larva condition (which is easily done, owing to the different colour 
of the dorsal tufts) ; one of the females which I reared attracted no less than seven 
males in succession, all of which she mated with ; finally she expired without laying 
a single egg. — Arthur G-. Butler, 10, Avington Grove, Benge, Surrey : October 
2nd, 1880. 
[Monogamy is believed to be the general rule with insects, although there are 
individual instances to the contrary. Mr. Butler’s experiment shows what 
may happen under the abnormal conditions of the breeding-cage, and it is pos- 
