THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 63 



four abdominal segments, which are dark, somewhat purplish in hue. 

 Lines on the thoracic joints may be faintly made out, whitish ; their 

 continuations on the last abdominal one are less so. An important 

 individual point is that no lines, not even a faint continuation of the 

 dorsal, cross the dark contrasting area shown on the first four abdominal 

 segments. The head and plates are semi-transparent ; but little can be 

 made out of the tubercles, though there seems a fair complement of seta? ; 

 length .65 inch. 



Next stage : The salient characteristics with Hydroecia larva' 

 belonging to this section of the genus are now well exemplified. 

 The abrupt termination of the usual dorsal and subdorsal lines on four of 

 the middle segments leaves this space presenting the contrasting effect 

 of a dark band or girdle, thus making it always easy to distinguish the 

 young larvae of this group. 



Head now measures .06 inch across, a shining honey-yellow colour. 

 Its development is normal, a few minute seta? arise on the front ; a black, 

 oblique line at the side, which takes in the ocelli, is the only marking. 

 The thoracic shield is a shining plate as wide as the head and very 

 nearly covers the first segment above the line of the spiracles. It is 

 prominently edged at the lateral borders with black, which finds a 

 continuation on the head in the line above mentioned. The tubercles 

 are hardly definable, though their position is usually indicated by minute 

 seta?. The anal plate is similar to the thoracic in texture, projects 

 outwardly over the last pair of pro-legs and offers a protective shield 

 at this extremity. The usual preceding plates on the last segment are 

 well developed for this early stage. On the segments where they occur 

 the ordinary lines are whitish and so wide as to overbalance the dark 

 body colour. The spiracles are black. Larva now measures .95 inch in 

 length. 



Following stage : A marked gain in bulk is noticed, otherwise 

 appearance remains similar. The black side line disappears from the 

 head ; the lateral tubercles come into prominence, iv is most noticeable 

 behind the spiracles except on joint ten where it is low down. On the 

 next to last segment i and ii have become much enlarged. 



Length 1.10 inches. 



Penultimate stage : Head and shields retain their respective propor- 

 tions, tubercles improminent, i and ii, on all joints but the last, are the 

 merest dots, requiring close scrutiny to observe when unaided by a lens. 



