28 THE entomologist's record. 



from their enemies, owing to their special form and colouring, 

 is a matter that, in its details, has very largely eluded me ; I 

 have, in fact, seen very few Ctispidia in the wild state. Psi and 

 tridens are usually conspicuous, but may be otherwise in many 

 circumstances ; strigosa no doubt closely assimilates to a haw- 

 thorn leaf with a bit of brown dead leaf or twig. But, except 

 in the case of leporina, I have made no observations that are 

 either new or very definite. But in this case, so odd is the 

 mimicry, and so unlikely to be thought of, except by having 

 actually observed it in the field, that it is very likely that some 

 other species have unsuspected means of protection or conceal- 

 ment. My observations were made and repeated a good many 

 times on the green, white-haired form occurring on alder ; this 

 larva sits somewhat curled round, near the middle of the under- 

 side of a leaf. Looking down from above it is absolutely hidden^ 

 looking up from beneath it ought to be very evident, but this 

 is far from being the case. I have several times missed a 

 larva till I have looked three or four times, and have also 

 fancied I saw a larva when none was there. In looking up 

 from below through the foliage of an alder tree, most of the 

 lower leaves are in the shade of the upper ones, but here and 

 there a gleam of light falls through on to a portion of a leaf, and 

 gives it quite a different tone and appearance, as seen from 

 beneath. A larva of leporina seated beneath an unilluminated 

 leaf, precisely resembles one of these patches. 



Mr. Poulton thinks the larva gets protection by resembling a 

 cocoon, though I fancy a bird would attack the cocoon as 

 readily as the larva ; an ichneumon might be deceived, or at 

 least if deceived, would leave the cocoon alone, and there is a 

 chalcididous parasite that plays great havoc amongst leporina. 



This may, therefore, for all I know, be the actual means of 

 protection of the yellow larva, that is more frequent on birch 

 and in the north, though I rather fancy that, curled up under 

 a birch leaf, and occupying nearly its whole surface, it more 

 nearly resembles a dead yellow leaf or two with some spinning 

 attaching them to the living leaf, such as Asphalia flavicornis, 

 for instance, and other larvae often leave in great numbers on 

 some birch trees, and the black tufts that sometimes persist in 

 this form, resemble bits of frass and other dark chips that are 

 entangled in such vacated lodgings. It would not perhaps be 

 altogether improper to call such empty domiciles, cocoons, 

 though they are not usually included in the term. I have 

 never myself been mistaken, so far as I know, by passing over 



