Rearing Larve 
a saucer, which must be kept filled with water for the 
benefit of the plants, so that they may be kept fresh and 
growing without the necessity for disturbing the cover- 
ing in any way. In from ten to twelve days the eggs will 
hatch, and the young grubs will start feeding forthwith. 
The pot should not stand in bright sunshine ; a north 
light is best. Should the brood be a fairly large one, 
and the food-plant show signs of inadequacy, introduce 
some fresh Bedstraw in bottles ; small ink or -Bovril 
bottles are just the right size, and hold sufficient water 
to last the plant until it is all consumed. The larve 
will now “feed up” rapidly ; in three weeks they will 
have commenced to pupate, and after a lapse of another 
four weeks the moths should be emerging. The eggs 
laid in May should produce the perfect insect towards 
the end of July. This is the second brood. Only 
a very limited number of moths are thus double- 
brooded. With slight variations to suit particular 
species, the method here sketched has been found by 
the writer to be a very successful one. 
If it is not possible or convenient to grow the food 
plant in a pot—say, for instance, the species we desire 
to rear isa Pine feeder—fill the pot with damp sand 
having a good-sized bottle buried in it nearly up to the 
mouth, Fill the bottle with water; put some good 
fresh Pine twigs into it, taking care to leave no space 
whereby the young larve can enter the bottle and 
thus get drowned. Pine twigs will keep fresh a long 
time if the water in the bottle does not get exhausted. 
Regular breeding-cages for the larger moths can be 
5 
