164 THE ENTOMOLOGISTS RECORD. 



In this skin, the growth began to be somewhat irregular, and 

 three of my " forwards " were in their third skin by October 3rd. No 

 important change was noticed in this skin. As their appetites seemed 

 to be falHng oft", and I suspected they intended laying up for hyberna- 

 tion, I brought them into a warm room, where they all continued 

 feeding, though one or two got far in advance of the others. On 

 account of the irregularity of growth, I found considerable difficulty 

 in keeping exact count of the moults ; but it is tolerably certain that 

 the most forward specimen — the only one which I got into pupa — 

 moulted six times, and probably even seven ; namely, about the 

 following dates :— Sept. 21st, Oct. 1st, Oct. 24th ?, Oct. 81st, Nov. 6th, 

 Dec. 4th, Dec. 14th. The third skin would probably be the hyber- 

 nating stage ; but, if so, it is curious that there should be so many 

 changes subsequently. From Mr. Clark's notes it would appear that 

 his larv?e only moulted twice after he began forcing them (when they 

 were certainly still quite small), and one of the most careful German 

 observers of the last century (Brahm, in Seriba's BcitrlKji', 1791), also 

 says that those larvffi which he found in winter underwent two 

 ecdyses before pupating. 



The changes in the different skins were not very marked. After 

 the first two or three stages the greenish tone of colour was replaced 

 by a pale wainscot-brown ; at about the same period the looping gait 

 was abandoned. I made a fresh description on November 6th, just 

 before the 5th (?) moult, but it talHes pretty closely with the earlier 

 one. The portions which are to be described as being of the ground- 

 colour were really composed of very fine and close longitudinal stride. 

 The length was now about half an inch, or slightly over. The larva 

 now rested in a straight posture, with legs and claspers attached ; but 

 when disturbed would draw itself into a slightly arched position, with 

 the legs and front pair of claspers resting slightly on the grass or 

 other surface, but apparently unattached. 



After this change, the dark grey-blackish lines were more pro- 

 nounced, and the single black line (sub-dorsal) was now first accom- 

 panied by a row of minute deep black dots, one to each segment, 

 except the last two or three. In this skin (the 6th ?) there was 

 another temporary cessation of appetite and growth, and this may, 

 perhaps, be the normal hybernating stage, which would leave for the 

 spring the two changes which have been specified by Brahm. But it 

 is mentioned that the species is of somewhat irregular habit, found 

 of various sizes at the same time, and I confess I am very sceptical 

 about rigidly fixed hybernating stages (as advocated by Mr. Tutt) for 

 many species. This last winter I have been breeding Mclanipjic 

 vunitanata, and found that the var. shiilmuUca hybernated in the last 

 skin but one. Some of a London batch laid up for hybernation in the 

 same skin, but died during the winter, while the only two of that 

 batch which came through successfully were in their la^t skin, and 

 only fed seven and ten days respectively in the spring, before pupating. 



In the last stage but one (7th ?) my forward albijmncta showed a 

 further advance in the direction of the darkening of the sub-dorsal ; 

 the black spots upon it becoming too large to be designated " dots," 

 and there being two apparent on each segment. All the moults with 

 this species appear to be rather laborious ; most of them (including 

 even the first) occupied about two days ; while the final change 



