252 [December, 



either across the second segment or over the head ; if turned out it 

 feigns death for a long time, but when once it recovers from its fright 

 it nimbly advances or retreats backwards in efforts to escape. 



By the 19th of September, it is 12 mm. long, and is in a state of 

 transition from its previous habit of eating growing leaves, which, as 

 autumn advances, gradually die,. and it accustoms itself by degrees to 

 feed on those leaves of sallow and hazel, or of hornbeam, that are 

 getting more discoloured and softened with blotches of incipient 

 decay befoi-e falling, thus it acquires the changed habit of feeding on 

 decaying leaves, although it will yet, for a short time, occasionally 

 vary its diet by eating a small portion from a green privet leaf, or 

 even a small oak leaf if very tender, though at no lime does it seem 

 to really like either, and very soon it entirely rejects those leaves that 

 may still linger in a comparatively green state. 



The changed quality of its food seems to affect the colouring of 

 the larva, for, by the end of September, it is of a dark purplish-brown 

 more dingy than before, the previous dorsal division on the neck-plate 

 has disappeared and the plate is now wholly black and shining, and it 

 is altogether quite in harmony with its surroundiugs on the earth, 

 where in a state of nature it would be, during winter, in the midst of 

 fallen leaves of various kinds, aud sure to fiud some with the requisite 

 qualities of moisture and tenderness agreeable to its taste, and. with 

 these most probably it would not be very particular in its choice. 



After hibernation and when full-grown the larva is from 16 to 18mm. 

 in length, its proportions are rather slender as far as the sixth segment 

 thence gradually thickening towards the ninth, then as gently decreas- 

 ing to the end of the eleventh, and more tapering to the end of the 

 thirteenth, the head is a trifle narrower than the second segment, the 

 third and fourth have deepish and sub-divided wrinkles, the remainder 

 are well divided, and each is on the back sub-divided in the middle by 

 tioo deep ivrinMes very close together, a distinguishing character from a 

 very early stage, the front sub-division of the thirteenth is long and 

 the anal flap short, the ventral legs are small, the stouter anal pair 

 extended backwards, the tubercular dots are as before but not a trace 

 can be seen of the crater-shaped spots before mentioned, they are 

 obsolete, the fine rugosity which had previously made the skin so dull 

 is now much smoothed away, the general colouring too is rather less 

 dark on the back and sides, the spiracles are round and black but so 

 minute as only to be seen with help from a powerful lens, the head is 

 rather darker than before, the papilla? pale and translucent, the collar 

 plate blackish-brown, all the legs pale greyish-drab and rather fl 



