LIFE-llISTOilY 08* ACUiOTlS AGf AtUlffA. 171 



at each division. The spiracular line was white, broad and very con- 

 spicuous, Avrinkled, and with a rusty-coloured blotch shading off to 

 yellow in the centre of each segmental division. The trapezoidals were 

 black, distinct, Avith a single hair, and the anterior ones were placed in a 

 small paler circle. The head was pale brown, translucent with a darker 

 line on each side. 



By the middle of January, many had moulted a 5th time, and the 

 larva3 varied in length between 2 and 2'5 cm. (very nearly one inch). 

 At this stage the ground colour was rich velvety reddish-brown, 

 mottled with pale spots on the dorsum, and with a tinge of purplish 

 or olive-green in the sub-dorsal area. Below the spiracular line, the 

 colour was similar to that of the dorsum, becoming underneath paler 

 and more translucent. The larva was moniliform, tapering from the 

 5th segment forwards ; the 12tli segment was larger than the 13th. On 

 the 2nd segment the three dorsal lines were white and distinctly mai'ked, 

 though less so than in the younger larvai. Elsewhere, the dorsal line 

 was white, very narrow and inconspicuous, and clouded with black at the 

 segmental divisions, so as to appear broken. The sub-dorsal lines were 

 white, much more distinct than the dorsal, and broken in a similar way ; 

 they were edged above, on each segment from the .3rd to the 12tli, with 

 a thick, black, velvety streak, which, with the pure white of the line, 

 gave a characteristic appearance. The spiracular line was white, broad, 

 and wrinkled, with a rusty-coloured blotch, paler towards its circum- 

 ference, filling up a large portion of each segmental division. The 

 spiracles were oval, edged with black, and were placed close to the upper 

 edge of the spiracular line on the 5th to the 1 Ith segments. The 

 tubercles on the dorsum and sides were black in pale surroundings, with 

 hairs very inconspicuous and only visible under a magnifying glass. The 

 head was small, partly retractile into the 2nd segment, of a pale trans- 

 lucent brown, Avith mottled cheeks and two dark brown curved lines 

 on each side (convexity inwards). The true and abdominal legs were of 

 a pale translucent brown ; the latter had, at the proximal end of each, 

 a conspicuous black tubercle with a single hair. The larva3 now rested 

 prone, close against the stems of the heather, holding on by both true 

 and abdominal legs. Their colour admirably mimicked the reds and 

 browns of the dead and living twigs with their lights and shades, and 

 made the larvee very difficult to find. In confinement, they seemed to 

 keep to the thickest parts of the food-plant during the day, in ])reference 

 to other places of concealment. Some of the smaller larvai fell in aring, 

 but relaxed at once. My larvas preferred Erica cinerea at this stage, 

 and devoured the leaves regularly downwards, beginning at the upper 

 parts of each twig, whicli they completely cleared. 



Early in February, the larvte, though apparently healthy, began to 

 die off rapidly, so at last, I determined to keep them in confinement no 

 longer, and placed those left on a couple of small patches of E. vulgaris 

 and E. cinerea, which I had planted in a corner of the garden. I have 

 not noticed them feeding since, but having been awa}^ from home part 

 of the time, they may have done so, or some may have jjupated soon 

 after settling amidst their new environment. Nous verrons. 



During the winter, the larvai were kept in a cool conservatory, 

 wlierc the temperature was rarely below 40"". I reared some Noctua 

 najlecla from the egg at the same time, and was very much struck by 

 the great similarity of the young larvai to those of A. aijathina up to 



