G(j [August, 



On Aplecta oerulta, with dcscrii^tions of the larva and pupa. — For tk poinplote 

 set of figures of the larva, and tho opportunity of studying the history of this species 

 from the egg, I liare been indebted to many kind friends, to whom I offer my grateful 

 tlianks, beginning with Dr. F. Buchanan White, who, on October 6th, 1868, sent me 

 four young larv£E swept from heather at Achilty, Ross-shire, which, though put on a 

 growing plant, died in thp following February. Next, I received on May 1st, 1869, 

 from Mrs. Hutchinson, a full-grown larra brought safely through the perils of hiber- 

 nation, but which unfortunately died soon after while in the process of changing to 

 pupa. In tho samo year, on the 18th of August, Mr. Lougstaff, then staying at 

 Cluny Hill in Morayshire, forwarded me part of a batch of eggs laid altogether in a 

 heap by a female moth he had imprisoned for the purpose : the eggs were laid two 

 and even three deep in parts of tho heap ; they hatched on tho 27th and 28th of the 

 month, and tlie larva? were reared, some to full-growth, by the end of October, 

 pupating in November, and others again at the end of January, 1870 : the remainder 

 of the brood continued to look well until the end of February, when a death or two 

 occurred, and through March they died off rapidly, the last dying during the first 

 week of April, when about one-third grown : a fatality also attended the pupa;, as 

 no imago resulted from them. 



Tho attainment of tho final metamorphosis, completing the history of occulta, 

 I owe to the kindness of Mr. J. B. Blackburn, who, on his return from Rannoch, 

 presented mo, on August 29th, 1874, with twenty young larvre, then between two and 

 three weeks old, which he had reared from eggs laid by a very black female captured 

 tlicre. Somo of these soon outstripped their companions in growth, tho earliest 

 changing to a pupa on September 22nd, and others at intervals up to December -Ith ; 

 and from some of these four moths were bred on October 13th, November 23rd, 

 December 7th and 22nd, respectively, four pups still remaining. 



Of the larviB that continued to hibernate quite small up to the middle of March, 

 1875, 1 have been unable to save any ; for, after moulting twice they seemed too weak 

 to feed, and died mere empty skins, the last on the 6th of April about three-fourths 

 grown. 



The food on wliich Mrs. Hutchinson reared her larva was heather, bramble, 

 sallow, and Sumex crispu.t ; and to those reared from eggs I at first gave Polygonum 

 aviculare, though their first meal was on the egg-shells, which they totally devoured ; 

 afterwards they had, besides the Polygonum, sallow and heather, birch and bramble, 

 Vinca major and Pumex pulcher, and the last larva; from Mr. Blackburn wore fed on 

 Polygonum, then or birch and sallow, with bilberry, afterwards dock and bnunblo, 

 finally on dock, sallow buds and catkins. 



The egg of occulta is globular in shape, a little depressed on the summit, and 

 rather flattened beneath, the shell ribbed and finely reticulated, of a pale straw 

 colour when first laid, afterwjards becoming a pinkish-drab, and at last a dark lead 

 colour. The newly-hatched larva is of a pellucid whitish-green, with minute black 

 dots ; on the third day becoming greener on the back, yellow on the sides, and head 

 pale brown ; after moulting twice it is yellowish-grey on tlie back and belly, dark 

 greyish-brown on the sides, the dorsal and sub-dorsal lines dirty whitish, the latter 

 edged above with black near the end of each segment to half-way along the next ; 

 the palo yellowish-white sub-spiracular stripe, so characteristic of this larva, now 

 first appears with a black line above it. On becoming five-eighths of an inch long, it 



