NEMOKIA VIRIDATA, LINN. 181 



the Channel Islands) Xeworia viridata, as far as I know, ahvays lays 

 its eggs upon the young shoots of common fuvze {Vice emopaeus). Its 

 habitat is exclusively amongst furze on the cliffs by the sea. It 

 mostly abounds on those places when there is a second year's growth, 

 after the furze has been cut down for fuel as is customary here."" 

 Calling Dr. Hodgson's attention to this record, he writes me that, in 

 his localities for the species, neither Ule.x- nor (renista forms a con- 

 spicuous part of the vegetation, but that, in August, 1905, in these 

 localities, larvae were swept from a mixed herbage consisting chiefly of 

 heather. Genista atuilica, and Tornientilla. 



It is, therefore, quite evident that the larva has many food-plants, 

 and does not confine itself to low-growing plants. Mr. Mathew finds 

 that the larvas thrive upon the strong young shoots of whitethorn, 

 which keep well in water, and my limited experience coincides with 

 his. 



I have little information as to the life-history of the insect. The 

 v<j!,g which I have numbered fig. I in my drawings (pi. x), and 

 more in detail, from an empty egg-shell, as fig. la has, as far as I 

 know, never been satisfactorily described. By my measurements it 

 appears to be about •72mm. x -SSmm. and rather large for so small an 

 insect. Ova, received from Dr. Hodgson, which were laid on June 6th, 

 1906, hatched out in my possession on the 15th ; nine days seems but 

 a short oval stage, but is not unusually so. Mr. Fenn, in his most 

 valuable tables of the " Duration of the oval state in the Geometers " 

 {F.ntinn. Record, vol. iii., 1892, p. 174), gives Geometra papilionaria 

 from 5 to 16 days, and Dr. Buckell (loc. cit., p. 255) gives Hemithea 

 aextivaria, 9 days. These periods are not the shortest on record, but I 

 quote species considered to be closely related to that which we are 

 studying. 



When first laid the egg is much the same colour as its mother, but 

 it soon changes to yellowish, and there is no further alteration except, 

 perhaps, a slight opalescence before hatching. The newly-emerged 

 larvae are orange-yellow. Some, after hatching, proceed to devour a 

 portion of the egg-shell, others show no taste in that direction. They 

 are full-fed from mid- August on to late in September, and then 

 proceed to enclose themselves in a close " box" of dry leaves, in which 

 they pupate in a horizontal position, and attached by the anal hooks. 

 Mr. Mathew remarks upon the lengthy larval stage, and Dr. Hodgson 

 writes: "Many feed for three months, and some more." Having 

 passed the winter in the pupal state, the perfect insect emerges from 

 the end of May to the beginning of July. It will be noticed that this 

 habit of hybernating in the pupa is novel, so far as we have yet studied 

 the " British Emeralds." 



I can find no record of a second-brood which would not perhaps be 

 unlikely to occur if only the larva would feed up more rapidly. 



The imago may be found at rest by day, and is easily kicked up 

 from its shelter, but its natural time of flight is dusk. I do not find 

 that it comes either to light or to sugar, as most of the other " Emeralds " 

 do. In captivity it is restless, and not to be trusted. Dr. Hodgson 



* The (f genitalia of one of these specimens kindly sent to me by Mr. Lowe 

 appear not to agree with those of N. viridata. — C.E.N. B. 



