260 THE entomologist's record. 



are small and indistinct ; the latter are large and stand out from the 

 skin-like warts. Each tubercle bears a short stilf hair. When full-fed 

 the larvae proceed to form large cocoons amongst the leaves of the 

 food-plant. They first join a number of leaves together until no open- 

 ing is left, and then spin a loose cocoon of coarse silk within. 



The pupas are rather long and slender with very rounded heads ; 

 the abdomen tapers gradually from the wing-cases to a point. They 

 are reddish or purplish -brown in colom-, and covered with a beautiful 

 bluish-white bloom, like a ripe plum. 



Having now given the general characters of the early stages of the 

 geuus, I propose to give a more detailed account of those species I have 

 been able to rear under my own observation from the ovum. I 

 succeeded in obtaining ova of one yellow species, C. coelebs. These 

 came from Prof. Carl Braun, of Bangor, U.S.A. 



C. coelebs. — Ovum of usual Catocala form, about -04 in. broad, 

 somewhat conical. The micropyle is very large and pointed, having 

 seven rows of cells. The ribs above shoulder very large, about 17 

 in number, but below the shoulder they branch very numerously, there 

 beiug sometimes as many as five between the main ribs. The trans- 

 verse ribs are rather large and prominent. 



About a dozen larvaj hatched dming May, but I was unable to 

 induce them to feed on birch (the reputed food-plant) or anything 

 else. They looked like any other Catocala at this stage, the head 

 yellow, the body dusky olive. 



C. elocata. — Ova obtained fi'om Germany. Eight eggs examined. 

 They differed in breadth from -045 to -05 in., round, conical above, 

 flattened beneath ; in colour somewhat more yellow-brown than 

 C. nupta, the purple rings lighter. The vertical ribs number from 34 

 to 38, but these seem to be very inconstant in all species, only 

 about half reach the micropyle ; the transverse ribs very numerous and 

 irregular. The micropyle is similar to that of C. nupta. The egg is 

 larger, flatter and more regular than that of C. nupta. 



The larvEe emerged very irregularly, extending from the latter part 

 of April until June 10th. When newly-hatched they measure about 

 three-eighths of an inch ; the head is yellow, the remainder of the body 

 dull olive, the last three abdominal segments somewhat browner. The 

 prolegs are, as usual, only developed on the 5th, 6th and last abdominals, 

 the two front pairs being rudimentary ; beneath the larva is pale bluish- 

 green, and, even at this early stage, the spots are large, red, and very 

 distinct. In the 2nd instar it measures from a half to three quarters of 

 an inch ; the head and legs pink, with numerous black markings. 

 The body has a pale dorsal stripe, on each side of which are numerous 

 black longitudinal lines, alternating with paler ones. The prolegs, 

 which are fully developed on the 5th, 6th and last abdominal segments, 

 are grey, with black markings. The tubercles are black, and very 

 small, the posterior trapezoidals on the 8th and 9th abdominals being 

 somewhat larger. The hump is slightly developed. The larva is pale 

 bluish-green beneath, with very large spots. In the third instar it 

 measures just over an inch. The head pale yellow-gTey, the face 

 tinged with red, and with black streaks down each lobe ; the body is 

 dirty yellow-brown, with a paler dorsal stripe ; the hump is dull red, 

 surrounded by a narrow circle of black, the posterior trapezoidals are 

 large and prominent, and yellow in colom-, the remaining tubercles are 



