22 
Discussion on ova.— Mr. Proufc suggested that the discussion might 
range round three points : (1) How to induce moths to lay eggs when 
captured; (2) Where to look for ova in the field ; and (3) What use 
could be made of them, i.e., what light did they throw on the grouping 
of moths, and would they help in the differentiation of species. Mr. 
May said he advised keeping for egg-laying a worn $ of any rare 
species, even if the insect was thus lost as a specimen. He remarked 
that the way he induced moths to lay was to put into the box with 
them split cork or muslin, and he had also found a piece of sponge 
especially useful, the moths inserting their ovipositors into the 
crevices. During the captivity of the moths moistened sugar was said 
to be palatable nourishment. Mr. Bacot had found that crumpled 
paper is often of use for grass-feeding moths, such as Lemania littoraUs. 
Grass should be put into the boxes, as the ? s will lay their eggs in 
the turned down edge of the withered leaf. Canvas will tempt 
Amphulasys be tulaeta and A. strataria. He gave an instance where 
Phluyophura meticuloaa was induced to lay from 2-3000 eggs by a course 
of feeding and starving alternately, but the eggs proved infertile. Mr. 
Nicholson spoke of the similarity of the eggs of Triphaena pronuba and 
Naetiia typica, but said those of A', typica, the smaller moth, were double 
the size of those of T. prunuba. He recommended feeding the moths 
and also supplying them with moisture, while keeping them for egg- 
laying. It did not, he said, appear to be so necessary in the case of 
geometers, which generally lay at once in chip boxes, choosing any 
prominences there may be. These often lay their eggs in bunches, as 
if they did not move while laying. To get insects to deposit eggs he had 
sometimes put them into the cyanide bottle, allowing them to be just 
overcome by the fumes, and on release and reviving, found they dropped 
their eggs.' He suggested this latter might be done as the effect of 
fright, lest they should die before providing for a succeeding generation. 
Mr. Bell mentioned a case where he had thought he killed a Lasiocampa 
(piercm with oxalic acid, and after setting discovered it had laid eggs 
24 hours afterwards. Some members thought this acid unsatisfactory 
for killing, but Mr. Clark recommended it if applied on a pin thrust 
into the junction of head with thorax on underside, and the point of 
the pin then given a turn downwards. In the case mentioned by Mr. 
Bell, he thought the acid had killed the ganglia in the thorax, but the 
abdominal ganglia being unaffected, and to a certain extent independent 
of the thoracic, the insect continued to protrude eggs. Mr. Prout 
spoke of Deilephila liromica laying nineteen eggs in a net when 
captured, attributing it to fright. Mr. Clark attested to the value of 
placing fresh pieces of the food-plant in with the imago as an induce¬ 
ment to lay. He cited ('hrysophanus phlacas, with which he had been 
successful. ” Mr. May said in the matter of finding eggs as laid by wild 
insects, he had watched Callupltrys rubi laying her eggs on the flower, 
buds of rock-rose, / lelianthemum rulyare, and Sphinx liyustn on young 
shoots of privet. Liparids were said to be fond of laying their eggs 
near their old cocoons. Triphaena prunuba on exposed dry twigs, and 
even round galvanized wire. Mr. Dadd said lie had been successful in 
obtaining eggs from T. fimbria, and had tried to humour T.janthina 
by placing string in the box with her. Triaena tridem and /’. pxi 
liked the presence of their food-plant, and Lemania impudem would 
lay a string of eggs along the edge of a blade of grass, if it were placed 
