]^2(5 [Octolicr, 



example, extremely distinct. There are also traces of a white margin to each of 

 the yellow spots along the outer margin of the hind-wings, which is unusual. Of 

 those which I bred, the smallest was 3 inches, and the largest 3| inches in expanse. 

 James H. Pearson, Glasgow : July, 1873. 



Note on the larva of Zygcena meliloti. — In the month of July last year, Mr. 

 W. A. Lewis gave me about sixty eggs of this species together with the parent 

 moths, which he had taken in copulci in the New Foi'est, both of which were typical 

 specimens. The eggs were nearly twice the size of those of the early or ' dry ' form of 

 Z. trifolii, a young brood of which I was then rearing. Under the microscope, they 

 appeared of a pale yellowish, tinged with green, smooth and perfectly oval, apparently 

 varnished, and laid in patches with the major axis of each egg parallel to that of the 

 others. There were some black, and a few red and blue, scales from the parent 

 adhering to the surface of these eggs, which were mottled in jjlaces with creamy- 

 white, the whole appearance strongly reminding one of the egg of some birds, 

 especially that of the yellow-hammer. 



The most remarkable point in the egg state of this species is the large size of 

 the egg compared with that of Z. trifolii (early form), although the latter is the 

 larger moth. 



These eggs hatched on the 18th July, and I fed them on birdsfoot trefoil ; the 

 young larvae grew much more slowly than those of the early form trifolii that I was 

 rearing at the same time. The greater portion of the larvae of both these species 

 died before the winter, but about eighteen young meliloti safely hibernated. They 

 hibernated when about three lines in length, while trifolii from the smaller egg 

 were of an average of five or six lines in length. Up to hibernation, there was no 

 very perceptible difference in the markings of the larvae of the two species, both 

 being of a semi-transparent brownish- white colour, with the usual rows of black 

 spots ; but whilst in trifolii, although still small, the future rows of spots and lateral 

 lines were distinct, in meliloti the same were nearly (and in some specimens quite) 

 obsolete, giving the larva somewhat the appearance of a maggot. 



In the April of this year, however, when both species moulted and began to 

 feed, a striking difference shewed itself, for while trifolii assumed the lateral lines 

 with orange spots, and the two dorsal and two lateral rows of large black spots that 

 (except in size, shape, and intensity) it possesses in common with the larvae of tlie 

 late forms of trifolii, filipendtdcB, and lonicerce, the spots and lateral lines in this 

 species were so nearly obsolete that to a casual observer they would ajjpear quite so, 

 the large spots being represented by occasional dusky punctations. The cold spring 

 of this year proved fatal one by one to all my trifolii, and by July loth, I had but 

 three larva; of meliloti left, from one of which the appended description was taken. 

 They had grown very slowly, and were only about half an inch in length by that 

 date, but had passed through four moults since the winter, viz., on or about the 5th 

 Api'il, 27th May, 8th June, and 9th July. They cast theii' skins in the curious 

 manner observed by Mr. Hellins in respect to Z. trifolii (Ent. Mo. Mag., iii, 18). 



One of these three larvae I have sent to Mr. Buckler ; of the other two, one 

 (from which my descriptioia was taken) again moulted on July 24th, the other has 



