THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 23 



In the afternoon of June 29, 1880, I saw a female precationis deposit- 

 ing her eggs ; these she placed singly on the leaves of grass and low 

 weeds, seeming to have no preference for any particular species of plant. 

 This diurnal habit of the moth seems to be a well established one, for I 

 have frequently seen them taking food from clover blossoms in the day 

 time, and the moth from which I obtained the first laying of eggs was 

 captured while hovering around lilac blossoms at mid-day when the sun 

 was shining brightly. In vol. xi., page 108, of the Canadian Ento- 

 mologist, Mr. W. L. Devereaux also records the capture of a precationis 

 on the ist of June " at lilac blossoms in the day time." 



Precaiionis is very abundant in this locality, frequenting clover meadows 

 in company with Drasteria erechtea and Itypena scabra. When flushed it 

 flies a short distance with a graceful, undulating motion, and then aHghts 

 in plain view without any atteiript at concealing itself; after alighting it 

 sometimes elevates its wings and vibrates them very rapidly. 



Below is given in a tabular form the time occupied by this species in 

 its different stages : 



From deposition of egg to hatching 4 to 6 days. 



" hatching to first moult 14 " 



" first to second moult 3 " 



" second moult to spinning cocoon. . 5 " 



" spinning cocoon to chrysalis 3 " 



" chrysalis to imago ... 9 to 23 



<( 



NOTES ON SOME NOCTUID LARV^. 



BY. G. H. FRENCH, CARBONDALE, ILL. 



Maniestra trifolii, Esp. 



Length when full grown i.io inches. In shape and appearance very 

 much like the larvae of Agtotis lubricans. Color uniform grass green 

 marked as follows : a rather broad substigmatal line of creamy white, 

 having at times a slightly pinkish tinge ; a dorsal line of dark green. 

 There is no trace of a subdorsal line except that the place of that line is 

 a very little lighter on the first three joints when the larva is crawling. 

 Stigmata narrowly edged with black. Head rather small, a little paler 

 than the body. Piliferous spots verv small. 



