02 [September, 



Description of the larva of Cloantha solidaginis. — For the opportunity of making 

 acquaintance -with thia long wanted larva, I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. 

 Q-eorge Norman, of Forres, who sent me two eggs on the 25th of April last. These 

 hatched in a day or two, and the newly-emerged laryte were of a dark slaty-green 

 colour, with the head dark brown. By May 4bh, they had attained to a quarter of 

 an inch in length, the ground colour being purple, with the dorsal and sub-dorsal 

 lines pale grey, the (rather broad) spiracular lines white, and the skin shining. By 

 May 24th, half an inch had been reached, and the ground colour had changed to a 

 very dark chocolate-brown, with broad, bright yellow, spiracvdar stripes, the narrow 

 dorsal line being then of a pale slaty-blue. Several days after this, one of the larva; died : 

 the remaining one, however, fed on satisfactorily, and by June 4th, its colour had 

 again considerably changed, the ground being dark purplish-brown (darker on the 

 sub-dorsal than the dorsal region, which had a faint pink tinge), the head dark 

 brown, smooth and shining, the dorsal stripe dark brown, with a distinct pale bluish- 

 grey central line, but no perceptible sub-dorsal lines, only a broad, clear, pale yellow 

 stripe along the spiracular region ; the spiracles and trapezoidal dots grey, and the 

 ventral surface, legs and prolegs of a unifoi-m dark pui-plish-brown. By the middle 

 of June, it was full-fed, and the adult larva* may be described as follows : — • 



Length about 1^ inches, and of average bvdk in proportion. Head globular, 

 the same width as the second segment. Body cylindrical, and of nearly uniform 

 width throughout, being attenuated very slightly towards the head. Skin smooth 

 and soft. 



The groimd colour dark olive-brown, strongly tinged with puq^le. Head 

 smooth and shining, pale brown ; the front of each lobe dark sienna-brown. Dorsal 

 line dull slaty-blue, edged with smoke-colour ; no perceptible sub-dorsal lines, but a 

 broad, clear pale yellow stripe along the region of the spiracles, edged on the upper 

 side with a very fine black line, on M'hich the reddish-brown spiracles were placed. 

 On the front of the second segment, a conspicuous black mark, and a transverse 

 black mark on the hinder part of tlie twelfth segment. Trapezoidal dots very 

 distinct, pale yellow. Ventral surface purplish-brown, tinged in the centre with 

 green, gradually becoming darker towards tlae pale spiracular band. Legs brown 

 and shining. 



The larva, both in the adult and earlier stages, is very beautiful ; tlie single one 

 reared went down o:i June 19th. 



At first, the larvae fed on whitethorn ; Init, on being supplied witli bilberry, 

 evidently preferred that plant, which is, in all probability, the natural pabulum of 

 the species. — GrEO. T. Porritt, Huddersfield : Ang'ist lOtli, 1872. 



Natural history of Carsia iwhntata. — For eggs of tliis species I am indebted to 

 Mr. E. Birchall and Mr. G-. T. Porritt, who sent me a good supply in August, 1871. 



These eggs were kept out of doors through the winter, and the larva> began to 

 hatch towards the end of April, 1872, — that is to say, some of them did so ; a great 

 many must have died in the egg, and many more soon after hatching, for in the first 

 week of May I found but two alive. The wintry time in April, succeeding tlie moi-e 

 open weather of the preceding months, was, I believe, the cause of this mortality, 

 a!id before long killed also one of the two survivors ; and yet it has so often happened 



