1 188a. I 279 ' 



of the surface of the ground, sometimes lighter, soinetimes darker, varying from 

 dirty whitish-yellow to dark red-brown and yellow-bi-own. Head semicircular, light 

 brown, with two dark lines ; on the crown a collection of black spots. Plate on 2nd 

 segment black-brown, with a central line and two side lines paler. Dorsal surface 

 always lighter than that of the sides, in which respect there exists a likeness to the 

 larvae of the CaradrincB. Dorsal line dark, divided by a pale line. Beneath the 

 dark, straight, broad, sub-dorsal line there is indicated another fine lighter line. 

 The blackish-brown spiracles stand on the border where the dark lateral and the pale 

 ventral colours unite. Obliquely above and under each spiracle is a black-brown, 

 horny, raised spot ; these spots, like the plates on the second and anal segments, are 

 weapons of defence for the larva when forcing its way into the ground ; and there 

 are others besides, in the place of the spiracles on the first segment, in the middle of 

 the back, on the sub-dorsal lines, perpendicularly above and beneath each leg, and 

 on the lateral edge these spots, like the head, are beset with short bristly hairs. 



"The larvae lived exactly like earthworms, by day underground, and by night 

 only on the surface, in order to feed. Salad and such like succulent plants were 

 much more relished by them than the tenderest shoots of the vine. The pupa, which 

 possesses an extremely thin shell, lay in an earthern cocoon. Dr. Pagenstecher bred 

 a large number of the larvse with the same results as myself. I have already given 

 an account of my first brood in the Jahrb. des Nass. Naturvereins for 1871 — 1872. 

 Later on the larvae had again disappeared, without any humnn means having been of 

 any avail against them. In September, occasionally a few pass through their stages, 

 and appear in the perfect state as rather smaller specimens than those of the first 

 brood ; but the large majority hibernate as hirvse. The perfect insects conceal 

 themselves by day on the earth, in deep crevices of the bark of trees near to the 

 ground, in chinks of stones, &c. 



"Among the large number of examples reared in the course of these broods, 

 there were those figured by Hiibner* asfumosa, fig. 153, aquilina,13o, obelisca, 123, 

 fictiJia, 479 and 710, unicolor, 544, erata, 623, carhonea, VOO, praticola, 567, vitia 

 and aquilina, 533 — 35, runs, 416 ; besides the following figured by Herrich-Schiiffer, 

 adumbrata, 121, rustica, 4,95, fumosa, 526, tritici, 527 and 552, obelisca, 529 and 553. 

 All were plentifully represented, and it could not but be that all belonged to one and 

 the same species, united as they were by numerous intermediate forms. Among 

 them were several forms, especially oi fumosa, of a beautiful lilac tint, which, how- 

 ever, faded into grey in the course of a year. One obelisca was entirely lilac 

 coloured without markings, with a white costal streak. Of varieties collected at the 

 same time by night, there are besides to be mentioned a pale yellowish example, de- 

 void of markings, with perfectly black outlines of the stigmata ; and one found by 

 Dr. Schirm, leaden coloured throughout without markings on the fore-wings, of 

 which only the margin of the reniform stigma is indicated by a black spot. It is not 

 improbable that there are besides other nearly-related forms not occurring here, 



"* Mr. Buckler describes, in the Ent. Mo. Mag., 1865. pp. 133 and 152, the larvaj of aquilina 

 i and /KTOosa, and finds in all respects a great similarity, but states, the latter maybe distinguished 

 by a double streak above the feet, and by the black warty spots (my larvas, however, all had these). 

 As he did not breed the larvas from the egg. but had them sent by others, and could not, tliere- 

 fore, compare them from youth upwards, while I, on the other hand, bred no quite black examples 

 of nigricans, but only grey ones, though marked In the same way, it will be just as well, perhaps, 

 to try again, and to rear a brood from the egg." 



