28 THE entomologist's record. 



indeed this is clearly apparent when an egg or two in Viminia 

 is laid solitarily, as happens occasionally in all species, perhaps 

 most frequently in myriccE. 



The newly-hatched larvae in Cnspidia always have the eleventh 

 segment pale, but the tints of the other segments differ in 

 different species ; in psi and tridcns they are the same as in 

 Viminia. In nearly all species the anterior trapezoidal 

 tubercles have only one bristle, but two occur in one or two 

 species. The full-grown larva is in each species a law to itself, 

 but where the larva is hairy, as in leporina and aceris, the hairs 

 arise chiefly from the general surface, and the tubercles, as 

 bases for bundles of hairs are not easily distinguished, whilst 

 in the non-hairy species, such as alni, each tubercle has one 

 bristle. 



The pupa, however, is again the most distinctive stage of 

 the group ; it is indeed hard to believe that there can be any 

 relationship between, say, runiicis and psi{ cf. Plate I., figs, i 

 and 2) ; the latter is of the ordinary Noctua, smooth, brown, 

 brittle-looking, semi-transparent, chitinous material ; it tapers 

 regularly from the thickest part of the thorax to the terminal 

 segments, which are somewhat rounded to finish with, and the 

 sculpturing, instead of being raised points, consists of the 

 ordinary minute pits (Plate I., fig, 2, pupa of tridens). The 

 anal armature consists of a system of spines, of which there are 

 a dorsal and a ventral series. I presume strictly, all are dorsal 

 as being dorsal to the cloacal aperture, but in relation to each 

 other, these groups may be most simply so described. The dorsal 

 set consists of two spines, one on either side, but not far from 

 the middle line ; only in aceris do these tend to be multiplied, 

 apparently by being split up rather than by others being deve- 

 loped. The ventral set is more variable, and consists of three 

 or more spines on either side. These pupae are not contained 

 in a silken cocoon, but in cavities formed by the larvas in 

 rotten wood, bark, etc. Some, as psi and tridens use rather 

 more silk, and will spin up in debris or even go down into 

 earth, if no other resource is available, whilst aceris, though 

 loving some dead loose bark or such material, spins an elabo- 

 rate cocoon almost anywhere ; in this respect, and in the anal 

 armature, perhaps, presenting a slight approach towards (or 

 from) the Vimitiia group, and the further gap may, for aught 

 I know, be bridged over by some exotic species. 



The third group I propose to name Bisulcia {bis twice, sulcus 

 a furrow) from the double depression that crosses the back of 



