LIST OF LEPIDOPTERA. 185 



under the moss on an old poplar. At sugar I took one, June 19th., 1856. 

 Another .Tune 22nd., 1857. It was looked for assiduously during the June 

 of this year without success, I never found the larva. I look upon it as 

 one of the rarest of the British Noctuce. (B.) 



The only specimen I possess, a splendid female, was bred, June 13th., 

 from a pupa which I dug up under loose bark at the foot of a large old 

 English poplar. My friend Mr. Bree also found his pupa on this tree. 

 (C.) 



7. C. flavicornis. — Larva occasionally on birch. Mr. Chapman, of Glasgow, 

 informs me that he takes it in September, and, knowing his accuracy, I 

 am fully satisfied of the correctness of this assertion. As far, however, as 

 my own experience goes, I can only reiterate my former statement, that I 

 never took it later than the end of June. I cannot think that it is found 

 in England much after that period, and I believe there is no doubt but 

 that there is only one brood of this and the following species. It is said 

 to come to sugar, but I have not met with it. 



N.B. — I have no hesitation whatever in concurring with my friend Mr. 

 Greene in thinking that this larva (at any rate in England) is never found 

 later than July. It is by no means uncommon in some parts of Derbyshire 

 upon birch. I have never beaten it later than the middle of July, and 

 then only an occasional straggler. The majority are full-fed by the end of 

 June. It is pale green, semi-transparent, with a reddish head, and black 

 spiracular spots. It lives between leaves like the larva of C. or. The pupa 

 resembles that of C. ridens. It is enclosed in a slight cocoon, under moss 

 or amongst the roots of grass at the foot of the tree. I never took the 

 perfect insect. (C.) 



8. C. ridens. — I was also fortunate in finding a considerable number of the 

 pupse of this insect at Brandeston. It was, however, very local. In my 

 paper on pupa digging I have given directions for finding it, and I need 

 not occupy space by repeating them here. It was much rarer at Playford. 

 The specimens taken in Suffolk are far more richly-coloured than any I 

 have seen captured in the north. Not having myself met with the larva, 

 it may seem somewhat presumptuous for me to express my firm conviction 

 that the period (September) given by Mr. Stainton, in the "Manual," is 

 wholly incorrect. I can only say that I always found the pupa from a 

 month to five weeks before that date. It strikes me that Mr. S. has fallen 

 into the error (not unnatural, perhaps, if he never met with the insect 

 himself) of supposing, that as the insect appeared in the spring, the larva 

 had probably fed up the preceding autumn. But supposition and probabilities 

 will not do in these matters. 



N.B. — I found a single larva of this insect July 10th., 1857, which I bred 

 in May, 1858. It was feeding upon oak. (B.) 



The beautiful larva of this still more beautiful insect, is of a bright 

 primrose yellow, minutely spotted with white; the head is reddish. It feeds, 

 I believe, exclusively on oak. It is full-fed about the last week in June. 

 From June 22nd. to 30th. this year, 1858, a friend and myself beat six or 

 seven just ready to spin up. It is very liable to ichneumons. The pupa is 





