56 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



* DESCRIPTKJN OF PREPARATORY STAGES OF THAROS. 



EGG. — Conoidal, truncated, depressed at summit, rounded at base 

 the lower half indented like a thimble, the excavations being shallow and 

 arranged in close and regular rows ; the upper half smooth, with about 

 15 slightly raised vertical ribs, terminating at the rim above; color pale 

 green. Laid in clusters on the leaves of any species of Aster. Duration 

 of this stage 4 to 7 days. 



YOUNG LARVA. — Length .06 inch.; cylindrical, largest anteriorly, 

 the segments each well rounded ; sparsely pilose, the hairs black, and on 

 the anterior segments directed forward ; color yellow-green clouded with 

 brown ; head ob-ovate, deeply cleft ; pilose ; color dark brown. Duration 

 of this stage 5 to 6 days. 



AFTER FIRST MOULT.— Length .1 inch.; cylindrical, stoutest in 

 the middle segments ; armed with 7 rows of short, fleshy, brown spines, 

 each thickly set with short, concolored bristles ; there is also at the base 

 of body a row of small spines, similar to the others, one on each segment 

 from the 3rd, and over the pro-legs two on each ; the 2nd segment with a 

 collar of minute spines ; body striped longitudinally with light and dark 

 brown and sordid white ; the dorsum light brown edged with white, and 

 on this brown area are two interrupted white streaks ; on the side a dark 

 brown stripe on light ground ; and in line with the lower lateral spines a 

 white ridge ; under side, feet and legs brown ; head sub-cordate, the 

 vertices rounded, and across each a gray band ; another band on front 

 lower face ; color shining black. Duration of this stage 5 to 6 days. 



AFTER SECOND MOULT.— Length .22 inch.; same shape; the 

 stripes almost the same, the white dull, the brown darker ; head sub- 

 cordate, dark brown or black ; on each vertex a white spot and one on 

 front lower face. To 3rd summer moult 3 days. Where the larva passed 

 3rd moult in the fall, the interval was from 7 to 14 days. 



* Note. — As the publication of this paper has been delayed, I am able to say now 

 (March 24th), that the liybernating larvfe spoken of have gone through their larval 

 changes and are now in chrysalis, 1 1 of them. These all had passed 3 moults last fall, 

 and have passed 2 since hybernation ended. As will be seen below, the coloration at 

 both these moults differed in several respects from the summer coloration. I did not 

 succeed in bringing alive thi'ough the winter any of those larvae which hybernated after 

 2nd fall moult, but of those which passed 3rd in the fall, the larger part were living when 

 I placed them in the greenhouse, Jih Feb'y. 



