I bred them under glass, in a green-house. A
certain number of the larvae were unable to cut the shell of the egg.
Here are a few notes I find in my book: Ova of Roylei commenced to hatch
on the 29th of June; second stage commenced on the 9th of July. The
larvae in the first two stages seemed to me similar to those of Pernyi,
as far as I could see. In second stage, the tubercles were of a
brilliant orange-red; on anal segment, blue dot on each side. Third
stage, four rows of orange-yellow tubercles, two blue dots on anal
segment, brilliant gold metallic spots at the base of the tubercles on
the back, and silver metallic spots at the base of the tubercles on the
sides. No further notes taken.
One of my correspondents in Vienna (Austria) obtained a remarkable
success in the rearing of Roylei. From the twenty-five eggs he had
twenty-three larvae hatched, which produced twenty-three fine cocoons.
The same correspondent, with thirty-five eggs of _Samia gloveri_,
obtained twenty cocoons. My other correspondents did not obtain any
success in rearing these two species, as far as I know.
_Hybrid Roylei-Pernyi_.--I have said that it is extremely difficult to
obtain the pairing of Roylei moths in captivity. But the male Pernyi
paired readily with the female Roylei. I obtained six such pairings, and
a large quantity of fertile ova. The pairings of Roylei (female) with
Pernyi (male) took place as follows: two on the 21st of May, one on the
3d of June, two on the 4th of June, and one on the 6th.
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