MEMOIHS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 271 



oil the costa, a raiiit narrow line, curved inwardly around to the tirst cubital branch, curves inward 

 between the lirst and second cubital branches, outward below the third cubital venule, endin;;- 

 in a black' dot at the internal angle. A large, conspicuous, ol)li(|ue, steel-blue black costal i)atch 

 extending inward and downward to the first (Hibital Aeiiiile; a row of intervennlar maruina! 

 black dots. 



Hind wings white, with a discal dot, and a dark spot on tlie inner angle. Fringe white, with 

 black dots. Ijcneath white, the dark patches and baud showing through; the discal dot is? 

 distinct, especially on the hind wings, and there is a curved extradiscal narrow dusky line. Tarsi 

 black, ringed with white. 



lu a type specimen from I'lattsbiirg named by .^Ir. (r. II. Hudson (in 1,'nited States National 

 Museum), another from rrovideiice, It. I., which is more rubbed, the median l>and is much broader 

 scarcely contracted in the middle. 



In a series of six S S from Colorado in the museum of Brown ITniversity, pressented bv Mr. II. 

 L. Clark, one closely approaches G. ciiierca in its white color and in having the black tliorax nearly 

 overgrown with white hairs, while the median band ou the fore wings is iiearly obsolete^, being 

 represented only by a triangular costal dark spot and a small round spot near the iuuer edge of 

 the wing; in another specimen the baud is very much contracted, only represented by a narrow 

 line on the cubital vein. On comjiaring such specimens it is seen that C. cinerca may have 

 originated from this species, and that it is a more recent form than scolopendriiw. 



Larra. — Although the species is so widely dilTused, its larva has not been detected except by 

 Mr. Thaxter in Maine, who says that it feeds on Populus, but gives no description of it. 



I copy, however. Dr. Dyar's description of the egg and different larval stages of what he thinks 

 IS this species. 



The larva of Cerura scolopendiina has not beeu described, but I belifve that I liave observed it. No moths were 

 bred from the larv.Ti here described; but several considerations render it prol>abIe that they are C. sculopendriiia so 

 that I venture to present my notes under the name. 



(1) ('. sfolopendrina is common throughout California and was taken by me in the Yosemite Valley. 



(2) These larva' have not been described before, and could only be C parudoxa^ of the known Californian forms. 



(3) I am informed by Dr. Thaxter, who has bred it, that the larva of C. atjuilonaiis (=scolopeitdriiia) is much 

 like that of C. cincrea, and those here described recall cinerca in the undulating outline of the dorsal ]>atch. 



(4) Dr. Behr writes in answer to an inquiry: " [In the larva of] Cerura seolopendriiia the dorsal band . 



is three times widened, or I would call it twice constricted, but the degree of the coustriction is rather variable so- 

 that sometimes, although rarely, the band is almost interrupted." 



Ei/n. — Slightly more than hemispherical, the base flattened, smooth, sublustrous black, under a lens appearing 

 minutely punctured. Diameter, 1 mm. Under a half-inch objective it is seen to be covered with flat, irregularlv 

 hexagonal and elongated reticulations which become very small at the nucropyle. Between them the surface seems 

 smooth with a few extremely minute punctures. 



First larval stage. — Head round, slightly shining, dark red-brown, almost black; clypeus and mouth parts paler, 

 ocelli black; a few short hairs; width, 0.5 mm. Body smooth, of even width; a pair of spinose subdorsal processes 

 on joint 2; the anal feet modified into spinose stemapods, 3 mm, long; cervical shield .small, very dark. Color of 

 body blackish red-brown, feet and venter whitish ; two greenish dorsal patches, one on joints 3-5, the other ou joints 

 8-10; elliptical, dittiise at their ends; a third patch appears later, on joint 12, Ou the body are a number of minute 

 set:e. Tails twice annulated with yellowish and tipped with white. Extensile threads black, whitish at the base. 



The larv:B eat only the pareuehynui of the leaf during this stage. 



Second stage. — Head rounded, slightly narrowing to the vertex, its sutures deep; color, even red-brown, with a 

 *few minute yellow dots; width, 0,8 mm. .loint 2 is swollen, its subdorsal processes conical, thick, spinose; low, 

 rounded, small, setiferous tubercles on the body, apparently normal in arraugemeut ; anal plate and stemapods 

 spinose. Body rusty brown with two elliptical, diffuse, dorsal patches of yellowish green, the anterior one ou 

 joints 2-t!, the posterior ou joints 8-10; sub ventral region and all the feet pale whitish. Tails red-brown at basal 

 half, then blackish, with two sordid white aunnlations. Length, 3.8 mm. As the stage advances the anterior patch 

 becomes larger, joins the subventral coloration, and is obscurely divided by a brown dorsal line, while the whole 

 dorsal region, except joint 11. becomes pale. 



Third stage. — Head higher than wide, roun<ll.y rectangular, flattened in front; reddish brown, the upper two- 

 thirds thickly covered with little round yellowish spots, but leaving a narrow line of the ground color ou each side 

 of the ceutral suture above the clypeus; antennae white; width, 1.15 mm. Body enlarged at joint 2, Jjearing a pair- 

 of heavily spined subdorsal processes; tails minutely spined. The normal piliferous dots on the body consist of 



' There is good reason to believe that C. paradoxa. is only a very pale form of C. einerea, the larva of which is. 

 well known. 



