1880.] 207 



only, but after the fourth moult, I noticed they fed on the flowers also 

 so, as the season of these two annuals was well-nigh over, being mid 

 Octoher, I tried them with the flower-heads of the common red clover 

 {Trifolium pratense) ; this seemed to suit their taste admirably, and 

 they fed up well on it, and spun up the first and second week in No- 

 vember. Doubtless, this abnormal time of pupating was induced by 

 being kept in a warm room, and well supplied with fresh food, as in 

 nature they would certainly hibernate. This is shown by six larvse I 

 had sent to Mr. W. Buckler when in the second moult ; these were 

 treated like mine, only in a cold room ; they, after moulting the fifth 

 time, refused to go on feeding, but went to sleep for the winter ; two 

 of my smallest larvae did so too. Luckily, by my forcing treatment, 

 the risk of losing them in hibernation was avoided, and enabled me to 

 send Mr. Buckler a full-fed larva, and thus secure its portrait by his 

 able pencil. 



The young larvse are pale brownish-yellow, hairy, and sluggish, a 

 character they retained through life ; if touched or irritated, they drop 

 from their food, and roll into a ring, and remain so for some time. 

 They moulted five times, at pretty regular intervals, viz., first, Septem- 

 ber 6th to Sth ; second, September 16th to 18th ; third, September 24th 

 to 26th ; fourth, October 12th to 14th ; fifth was completed by Octo- 

 ber 26th ; and full fed from November 1st to 15th. No great change 

 of coloration takes place till the fourth moult, when the fleshy tuber- 

 cles become darkly spotted, and a fulvous-yellow dorsal line appears ; 

 on the fifth moult, this line is brighter and better defined. 



The full fed larva, when extended, is from half-an-inch to five- 

 eighths of an inch long, moderately stout, somewhat thickest in the 

 middle, attenuating slightly both anteriorly and posteriorly, the head 

 is small, dark blackish-brown, the general ground colour is a semi- 

 translucent brown-pink, a narrow but well-defined yellow dorsal line, 

 and on each of the segments, which are well developed, are six small 

 fleshy tubercles, arranged in rows, three on either side of the dorsal 

 line, and from which spring tufts of short brown hairs (the dark spots 

 on the tubercles seem lost on the expansion of the larva by becoming 

 full fed) . The spiracle line is not very apparent, the belly and clasper& 

 are nude, and of a semi-transparent brown-pink. 



When the larva is about to spin its cocoon, it selects a grass culm 

 or other stem, and having spun a little pad of silk on it, commences 

 to nibble off portions of adjacent stems, and with them builds out two 

 side pieces like an open boat, the grass culm forming as it were the 

 keel. It is most curious to watch this construction going on ; the 



