AGLAIS URTIC^, WITH SOME NOTES ON A THIRD BROOD. 73 



remarkable that, so acute an observer failed to connect these latter 

 with a third brood, but, at the time Newman wrote there seems 

 to have been a doubt if the species was really double-brooded even. 

 Barrett says, " Double-brooded, the first generation emerging in the 

 middle of June, the second in August and September " {Brit. Lcjiid., 

 i., p. 188). Kirby says, "The larvne live gregariously on nettles in 

 ■Tune and July" ( Kurop. Butt, and Moths, p. 12). This statement is 

 most remarkable, as it suggests that the species has but one brood in the 

 year. In his latest work, he dismisses the species with the very 

 general remark that " it hybernates, and has a succession of broods " 

 f Buttcrjlii's, i., p. 90). It is not stated, however, if this refers to the 

 British Islands only, or to its whole area of distribution. Hofmann, 

 speaking of the larva, says, " in June and August. The butterfly 

 appearing in 14 days " {Die Eaiipcn Schmctt. Europas, p. 14). This is 

 about the usual time in this country, but cannot be the rule in the 

 south of Europe, where we have seen the larva is often nearly full-fed 

 in April. 



The British Liparid Moths. 



By A. BACOT. 

 {Continued from p. 31.) 



Larv.e : Generalised characters. — The following are the most 

 generalised characters to be found in the larvae of the Liparid moths : 

 1 . — Eversiblc i/lands. — These occur after the first moult, on the dorsal area 

 of the 6th and 7th abdominal segments of all the British species except 

 Dasi/chira pudibwida ; in this species only one eversible is present, 

 namely, that on the 7th abdominal segment. 2. — Greater prominence 

 and siw of posterior trapezoidal tubercles (Dyar's ii). — The anterior pair 

 (Dyar's i) are, as a rule, much smaller than ii, and in certain species 

 are only discoverable after careful search. 8. — Great prominence and 

 size of sub-dorsal or pre-spiracular tubercles on pro-thorax. — These ear- 

 tubercles, as I have usually called them, are very striking. This 

 feature is also noticeable in the early stages of some Lasiocampid 

 larvae. 4. — Shape in 1st stage. — In 1st stage all the larvae are short, 

 flattened, and square-ended, the incision of the segments being very 

 distinct. 5. — The weakness of certain segments. — Most of the species 

 have certain segments weak. These are usually one or more of the 

 following : 2nd and 8rd thoracic, and 4th and 5th abdominal. Weak 

 segments are also characteristic of the genus Acroni/cta, in its wader 

 sense (see Dr. Chapman's paper in Entom. Record, vols, i.-iv.). 6. — The 

 hairs of all tlie species are tJiorny, branched, or plumose. — Hairs of this 

 character are common to many species of lepidopterous larvae. 



Larv.e of Psilura monacha and Ocneria dispar. — 1st stage, dark 

 coloured ; anterior trapezoidals very small, bearing one small hair 

 only ; posterior large, bearing numerous hairs. In P. monacha the 

 meta-thorax is weak, and bears smaller tubercles than other segments ; 

 this does not apply to 0. dispar. Both species bear hairs of two 

 different kinds : (1) Short spines with slight traces of thorns, and a 

 bulbous swelling about {- up from base ; the single hair on anterior 

 trapezoidals is of this character. (2) Long and more slender hairs, 

 many of them very thorny. Messrs. Forbush and Fernald, in their 

 monograph of the Gipsy moth, consider that these bulbed or balloon 



