86 [September, 



describe them. The gall is sunk in the substance of the leaf, and is easily over- 

 looked. When fresh, it is most readily detected by the regularly radiating lines which 

 pass from a small knob in the centre to the circiimference. When mature, and still 

 more after its occupant has departed, it is far more readily seen, the upper and lower 

 surfaces projecting considerably from the lamina, and becoming whitened and sear 

 wliile the rest of the leaf is still green. In form it is oral, about ^-inch by -jV-inch. 

 Both surfaces are naked ; the upper has a small central prominence and radiating 

 lines, the loAver has no central knob, has the radii more irregidar, and projects less 

 than the upper. The walls are very thin, and enclose a large cavif y. Most of those 

 I found were empty, but a few contained pupae. — Id. 



Description of the larva and pvpa of Sesperia Actceon.- — On the 11th of June, 

 1873, Mr. Thomas Parmiter, of Kimmeridge, Dorset, very kmdly sent me four larvse 

 of this species foimd by him on BracJiypodium sylvaticmn, a grass growing abun- 

 dantly along the downs facing the sea, where the sub-soil is of chalk or limestone, 

 from Swanage to Wejnnouth. Along this region the detached haunts of Actceon are 

 scattered, each locality being within one or two hundred yards or so of the shore, 

 having a southern aspect, and well sheltered from the north by a hill. In these 

 favoured spots Actceon is plentiful. 



I found these larvae take readily to Triticiim repens, which was potted for them, 

 and their habit of feeding was as follows : ascending higli up the blades of the gi'ass 

 they began eating out a wedge-shaped portion from the side which cut off the pointed 

 top, leaving an oblique edge above, and either fed there on the upper edge for a little, 

 or proceeded to eat away large wedge-shaped pieces from the side of the blade ; 

 when tired of feeding, they removed lower on the middle of a blade, and there spmi 

 a coating of white silk from one side to the other, causing the two edges of the blade 

 to draw tbgethcr a little, and there in the silk-lined hollow they would rest for 

 awhile, coming out again to feed. For a time, I placed one of the larvae on Triticiim 

 pungens, a stouter and tougher grass, with which it seemed perfectly contented, and 

 behaved in all respects as it had before on T. repens. 



These larvae had attained their full length by the time they reached me, but 

 continued to increase pomewhat in bulk till June 20tli, and by the 23rd they had 

 ceased to feed, and were beginning to fasten themselves within more closely con- 

 structed retreats, formed where two blades of the grass obliquely crossed each other ; 

 however, a few days later, probably from the gi-ass not being quite free from mould, 

 two of them abandoned their places, and found others suitable to themselves, where 

 they pupated, in horizontal positions^ under a projecting ledge that supported the 

 glass superstructure of their cage ; one of the individuals that remained spim up 

 on the grass, and pupated there, with its head uppermost in nearly a perpendicular 

 position, most unfortunately met with decapitation a fortnight afterwards whilst I 

 was cutting the grass with scissors. 



The butterflies appeared on July 14th, 17th, and 18th, viz., two females and a 

 male ; in each case the imago came forth at night, the insect being ready for flight 

 in the morning. 



These full-grown larva; were from six-oigliths to seven-eighths of an inch in 

 length, and in figure (leaving out the head) tapered a little to each end, the second 



