176 
January, 
earth, or to protection under stones, appearing on fine days during winter, and thus 
pass their life without making much growth. When spring comes, they regain their 
vigour, and then is formed on their hinder part the singular cradle which receives their 
numerous family. They lay their eggs, and live languidly for more than a month 
afterwards.” 
I have never captured or had the male, which it appears is only 
to be found in the autumn, and although it seems certain that but 
comparatively few of this sex are developed, yet it may be possible to 
obtain some by rearing them from the larvae. The male larvae, accord- 
ing to Signoret, may be distinguished by the two caudal lamellae being 
narrow ; by the long, stout, first joint of the antennae, and the still 
longer terminal joint (the very peculiar form of the antennae being 
altogether abnormal in this family) ; and by the conjoined tibia and 
tarsus on all the legs. This Ortliezia is not scarce in the larva-state, 
in August and September, in many places, on various plants, and there 
is, therefore, an opportunity for some of our aspirants to obtain and 
rear some males to maturity ; the history of the last changes would 
form an extremely interesting article ; and the same may be said, in 
an even greater degree, of the other species. 
In the Trans. Ent. Soc. London, N. S., iv, Proceed., p. 5 (1856), 
is a very interesting and humorous account, by the late Edward 
Newman, of the birth and infantile life of a brood of O. characias, 
derived from a female that I had given to him early in June. 
The generic name Orthesia, given by Bose, in 1784, in honour of 
the Abbot of Orthez (l’abbe d’Ortliez— not Dorthez, as has been 
stated), was altered in 1785, by the Abbe himself to “ D orthesia ” 
which was adopted by Latreille and others, but this not being correct, 
according to orthographic rule, the original name was restored by 
Amyot and Serville, written, however, Ortliezia , as according better 
wdth its derivation. 
8, Beaufort G-ardens, Lewisham : 
20 th November , 1880. 
Note on the food of Bothynotus pilosm — It would seem from the editorial note 
(p. 165) that the supposed food-plant of this species is spruce fir. Such was certainly 
not the case with my specimens. They were females with undeveloped wings, and 
there is no coniferous tree or shrub within a considerable distance of the locality in 
which they were taken. 
The underwood around the sand-pit consists of oak, hazel, and birch, with 
some broom at a little distance. I do not know whether any of these are likely to 
be the food-plant. — E. N. Bloomfield, Guestling Rectory : December 11 th, 1880 
