278 THE entomologist's record. 



it goes across them dorsally. A continuous margin is thus made to 

 the larva. This flange projects most at the middle of each segment, 

 forming a series of humps or bosses. About half-vay between the 

 spiracular flange and the prolegs is a marginal flange. In the 

 younger larva this is quite a ventral structure ; in the fullfed one it 

 is still so, but is a strong prominent projection with a very sharp 

 angular margin, competing, on lateral view^ with the subspiracular 

 flange as to size and prominence. It has some trace of yellow colour 

 along its margin (or angle). It ranges Avith the bases of the claspers 

 behind, and meets the subspiracular (apparent) on front of prothorax ; 

 its allowance of w4iite and black hairs is very much the same as that 

 of the spiracular. The 2nd and 3rd thoracic segments have each a 

 somewhat subordinate elevation, with longer hairs between the dorsal 

 and subspiracular humps, and about the level of the spiracles. When 

 the larva is really at rest the appearance of the front segments is 

 remarkably like a boar's head, the large black spiracles being the eyes, 

 the prothoracic plate the frontal hollow in front of the ears, and the 

 lines of the " subspiracular " and " marginal " flanges marking the 

 jaws, whilst the hairs well represent his shaggy ej^ebrows and whiskers, 

 the black bit of head visible, looking sometimes like his opened 

 lower jaw in shadow. [N.B. — I have no actual boar's head at hand 

 to enable me to say that the boar's head it resembles is not an 

 imaginary one.] 



June 4th. — I came across a full-grown lai'va this morning, apparently 

 at rest, and thought I would have another look at the " boar's head " 

 attitude, but the outline of the prothorax was different, being almost 

 convex, the hollow of the prothoracic plate being slight. On close 

 examination, I found the larva was not at rest but busily eating. The 

 front segruents were raised (or in "sphinx" attitude, but without any 

 "sphinx" appearance) from the stem of Lotus on which it rested, and in 

 its paws (true legs) it held a flower-bud of the plant which it was 

 munching vigorously, and which disappeared in about a minute ; the 

 prothorax forming a hood for the head, and the true legs being in- 

 cluded under it and the continuation of the marginal flange on the 2nd 

 and 3rd thoracic segments. The head was quite bent under, so that 

 the mouth-parts were directed backwards. The marginal flange in 

 this attitude is capable of hanging down all round like a curtain, so as 

 completely to hide not only the head and legs, but also the small 

 flower-bud that was being eaten ; its pedicel had been eaten through 

 so as to remove it from the flower-head. The motionless, reposeful 

 appearance of the larva whilst eating rapidly was very striking. Started 

 shortly after on another flower-bud, a rather larger one and undetached, 

 it partially surrounded this Avith the flange, the actual point of attack 

 being buried rather deeply, and the head itself more so, it was ex- 

 tremely difficult to detect the slightest movement of the larva ; but an 

 examination half a minute after showed that the bud had had a good 

 bit eaten out of it. It holds the bud in much the same way before as 

 after it is detached. When moving about, it always spins a good deal 

 of silk. The claspers, viewed laterally, Avhen holding on, present, 

 first the columnar side w'ith numerous hairs, and beloAV this a fleshy 

 pad occupying the central position and rather more than half the 

 length of the foot in length, and on each side of this, and 

 overlapped by it, so that they are larger than the portion seen, 



