92 [September, 



ing them into close contact ; after having thus fortified itself, it would at once curl 

 round into its favourite position, and go to sleep until roused again on another side 

 in the same manner, when it would repeat the operations for its security, and shut 

 out further observation. 



Three moths were bred, viz. : two on the 6th, and one on the 9th of June, 1875. 



The full-grown larva, while crawling, measured from one and three-eighths to 

 one and a half inches in length, moderately stout in proportion, cylindrical, tapering 

 very little anteriorly near the broad head, and a little on the two hinder segments ; 

 in point of colour the head is now orange-ochreous, barred on either side the mouth 

 with black as far as the ocelli, which are included, and with black square mai'ks sur- 

 rounding the pale antennal papillae, its surface a little granulous and shining ; the 

 skin of the body beautifully soft and smooth, without gloss, excepting a narrow, 

 shining, very pale greyish plate on the second segment, and on the anal tip ; all the 

 legs are shining ; its colouring above on the back very faint yellowish, most tendei-ly 

 tinged with greyish, changing almost imperceptibly to primrose-yellow along the 

 spiracular region, and again below to the same delicate tint as the back ; a very faint 

 glaucous pulsating vessel shows partially through the dorsal region ; on each side of 

 the front margin of the second segment are three black spots, on the side of the third 

 segment two black spots one above the other, and on the side of the fourth segment 

 one black spot, and one black spot on each side of the twelfth segment ; the spiracles 

 are pale flesh colour, the tubercular dots whity-brown, which, together with their 

 short and fine single hairs, can only be discerned with a good lens. 



The cocoon is placed in a hollow cave contrived by spinning several leaves to- 

 gether at their edges, and is composed first of an open net-work of coarse silk of a 

 deep brownish-red colour, the meshes of which are at first, when wet, quite regular 

 and symmetrical in some parts, and very flexible (at which time the pale skin of 

 the larva is seen through them) ; but these soon contract, and are enveloped by the 

 closing up of the leafy surroundings : when the cocoon is opened and divested of the 

 leaves, it is a remarkable specimen of reticulation ; the outer foundation oval in form, 

 throe-fourths of an inch long, is made, as I have said, with very stout threads, leaving 

 large meshes of oval, pear-like, and angular shapes, filled witli a very tangled layer 

 of much finer silk, reminding one of the smaller vessels of a skeletonized leaf. The 

 pupa measures five-eighths of an inch in length, thick and dumpy in form and pro- 

 portion, the surface roughened, except in the abdominal divisions, by minute pits, 

 and on the wing-covers and thorax by con-ugations ; the abdomen ending with two 

 converging spines, their tops re-curved, crossing each other, and a few recui'ved short 

 bristles round the abdominal tip : the colour black, the abdominal divisions dark 

 purplish dull red, the other parts a trille glistening. — AVilliam Buckler, Emsworth ; 

 July 10th, 1876. 



Sesia pkilanthiformis in South Wales. — The receipt of some tufts of thrift 

 containing larvae of Sesia philanthiformis from the Isle of Man, with some hints as 

 to its habits, from my friend Mr. Birchall, set me looking for this pretty little clear- 

 Aving on the rocks of the Pembrokeshire coast. 



But these rocks are more suited for the investigations of birds than of featherless 

 bipeds, and in most places an effective examination is impossible. Therefore, I was 

 well pleased when, about a fortnight ago, I hmipened on a bit of coast in which a 



