220 [March, 



on the same plant ; but from Mr. Machin I learnt that though he had 

 formerly taken the larva very sparingly on oali, beech, pine, and spruce 

 fir, it was not until many years afterwards that he discovered the larva 

 to be quite common on yew (Taxus baccata) ; and from subsequent 

 experience was convinced this tree was the favourite and proper food. 

 For enlightenment on this important point I am greatly indebted to Mrs. 

 Hutchinson, who, in June, 1876, most kindly presented me with three 

 fine full grown larvse which she had reared on yew, and I used this 

 food most successfully to rear the larvae from the eggs which Mr. 

 Smith gave me. 



These eggs were laid on July 30th, by a female moth confined in 

 a cOarse muslin sleeve over a branch of yew ; however, in part, she 

 disregarded the branch and extruded the eggs through the interstices 

 to the outside of the muslin where they adhered. The larvse hatched 

 August 12th and 13th, and fed away well ; when, however, it became 

 necessary to change their food, their complete assimilation to the 

 colour of the under-side of the leaves caused me, from time to time, 

 to overlook one or two, and thus my stock, at first numbering twenty- 

 seven, were reduced to twelve by the end of the year. 



Their time of hibernation began about the middle of October^ 

 and lasted in a very partial way until the following spring, as they 

 frequently moved a little and nibbled their food during that period : 

 at the end of March, 1877, they fairly waked up, began to moult, and 

 thrive, and the most forward individual attained full growth by the 

 21st April, entering the earth on the 2Sth, and followed by the others 

 at intervals up to the 9th May. The moths, ten in number, i. e., eight 

 males and two females and all finely developed, were bred from June 

 the 8th to 21st. ' 



The egg in shape is oblong, elliptical, and has a depression on some 

 part of the side, its surface finely ribbed lengthwise and pitted betwen 

 the ribs ; the colour a light subdued green, glistening with a pearly 

 lustre, changing on the seventh day to a paler tint of greenish-drab, 

 and again on the fourteenth day to a deeper hue of olive-grey, when 

 the embryo shows through the shell as a dark line, and on the next day 

 it hatches. 



On escaping from the shell the larva is a slender little creature, 

 with an ochreous-green head, a very pale greenish stripe down the 

 back, a blackish-olive stripe on the side, a whitish stripe below, and 

 the belly dark olive-green. When nine days old it is about a quarter 

 of an inch in length, the colouring of the stripes rather browner, and 

 within the pale stripe of the back appears an extremely fine dark green 



