THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



the body is much the same as in the former instar, but the whole has now 

 an orange-yellow tinge, which becomes duller as the larva becomes full- 

 fed. The tubercles are rather large and conspicuous, orange-yellow, 

 and the laterals have much increased in size, especially the sub- 

 spiraculars. The hump is very prominent, bright yello^v, with an 

 orange ring round it. The posterior trapezoidals on the 8th ab- 

 dominal segment are much enlarged, and form a ridge, the black 

 streaks on each side, present in (J. elocata and G. nnpta, are well- 

 developed. The legs and prolegs are orange-brown. Ventrally the 

 larva is bright lemon-yellow, with an orange stripe down the middle, 

 and a large brown spot on each segment, those on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 

 6th abdominals being the largest. The lateral fringe is pinkish-white. 

 When full-fed the larva spins a cocoon amongst willow (its food-plant), 

 and changes to a pupa somewhat smaller, but otherwise apparently 

 identical with those of G. elocata and C. nupta. 



Cucullia gnaphalii : a successful hunt for its larva. 



By W. G. SHELDON. 



It is now, I suppose, some ten or twelve years since my first hunt 

 for the larva of this curiously rare " shark," the scene of operations 

 being a locality from which the majority of the specimens in our col- 

 lections have come, Tilgate Forest. That expedition resulted in my 

 acquiring just sufficient larvte of C. asteris to whet one's appetite, but 

 none of its rare relative. 



For several years after this I regularly, each season, put in a day or 

 two at the proper time amongst the golden-rod ; but, although I beat and 

 searched by day and by night, -and tried every method of which I could 

 think or hear, the result was always the same, C. asteris, once or 

 twice in fair numbers, usually scarce. At last, however, in 1805, my 

 eyes were gladdened by the sight of an apple-green larva with rusty-red 

 dorsal area and blotches down the sides, which I knew was the right 

 one. Two w^ere obtained tliat year, from which, in the following June, 

 one imago emerged. In 1896 I found three larvae, one of which was 

 ichneumoned, and the other two died. So far, therefore, I had only 

 one specimen to show for my labour. 



Last year (1897) I came to the conclusion that if I ever meant to 

 do any good, I must test the accuracy of some information heard many 

 years ago, when a friend told me that an old entomologist, well known in 

 his day, but who had ceased collecting some 20 or 30 years liack, in- 

 formed him that in an out-of-the-way district of the south of England 

 he had discovered and taken the larvae of C. gnaphalii in small num- 

 bers each year, and that on one occasion he actually found twenty-one 

 in one day. I accordingly procured a section of the ordnance map for 

 the district, and started there early one morning, arriving in the after- 

 noon, and after making arrangements at a wayside inn for passing the 

 night, and obtaining some food, commenced looking for the object ol 

 my search, and most discouraging work it was. For seven or eight 

 hours I wandered about a district favourable in every way for other 

 species, but flat and with the soil a heavy clay, and altogether totally 

 unlikely for producing Solidago virganrea, and as a matter of fact 

 not a single plant was observed during a walk of certainly not less than 

 20 miles. 



