20 
Some Ailantus plants were also put into a grape house. The following 
is drawn from a journal, kept to note the course of the experiment. 
May 22nd.—The twelve cocoons were brought in a basket, covered 
with muslin, into a warmer room—heat from 60 to 70—and the 
basket was put as often as possible in the sunshine. June 19th.— 
The first moth emerged (it was a male) ; as the moths came out they 
were transferred to the cage. July 1st. — The last emerged. The 
number of males and females was equal. June 27th. — Eggs first 
found; they were put into a little paper tray (with the date written 
on it), which was hung on an Ailantus plant in the grape house, 
where the heat varied from 70 to 80. Afterwards, to guard against 
eggs being lost, owing to the plant being shaken, the boxes were 
kept in garden fiats. Erom the 27th June to 10th July (both in¬ 
clusive), eggs were laud daily, amounting in total to nearly 1500, 
and making the fair average of 250 from each female. It would 
appear, that temperature had great influence on the laying of the 
moths, the greatest number of eggs having been taken on two 
unusually hot days, viz., Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th July. 
The most favourite situation for laying was on the sunny sides of 
the cage, but some eggs were deposited on the Ailantus. July 8th. 
—Worms first found. They were two from eggs laid on the 29th, 
the eggs of the 27th hatched afterwards. Why should those laid 
on the 29th hatch soonest ? The two boxes were hung on the tree 
close together. In the afternoon of the same day, more worms were 
found in the same box. Ailantus leaves gathered, were laid over 
the boxes, on to which the worms went immediately. 10th to 14th, 
the hatching proceeding,—hundreds on this latter day (the 14th),— 
and sprays of Ailantus, covered with the newly hatched worms, 
were fastened to the trees in the open air. 15th.—Yery few of the 
youngest worms visible, but those of greater age looked perfectly 
thriving; a few left in the grape house seemed also doing very 
well. About this time we left home, and were absent till Saturday, 
29th July; previous to leaving we had observed a few—a very few— 
of the little yellow ant (Formica flava) . July 29th. — Such worms 
as were visible on the trees in the garden had fully kept pace with 
those in the grape house. A few days afterwards, on making a 
very close investigation, only two worms could be found, and these 
were at once transferred, for safety, to the trees under glass. Here, 
the last changes were accomplished, and, though never attaining to 
the size or the brilliant colouring of those raised in the open air in 
1864, cocoons were made. Most spun on the Ailantus plants, some 
