March, 1874] 217 



NATUEAL HISTORY OF LITROSIA QUADRA. 

 BT WILLIAM BUCKLEE. 



On the 30tli July, 1872, Mr. "W. H. Harwood kindly sent me eggs 

 of this species, la;d close together on the side of a chip box ; and he 

 supplemented his gift by a few more which came from a correspondent 

 of his on the 8th August, laid in clusters : in both instances some of 

 the larvae hatched in transit, and all of them were out by the 13th. 



The egg is semi-spherical, most minutely pitted on its surface ; of 

 a rather glaucous bright green colour, turning olive, and again dark 

 brown just before hatching ; a large hole is eaten by the escaping 

 larva in the upper part of the shell, which looks quite white when 

 empty. 



The young larva for a day or two is rather gelatinous looking, of 

 a dirty whitish tint, but soon acquiring an internal pinkish tinge, 

 showing a brown streak within the thoracic segments, the head being 

 dark brown, and the body bearing some rather long dirty whitish hairs. 

 In about ten days the first moult takes place, when, as is the case 

 with other species of Lithosi<s, so much of the characteristic marking 

 and colouring of the mature larva is assumed, as suiEces even then 

 to distinguish it from its congeners ; the whole larva now becomes 

 tougher in texture, and the back becomes yellowish, prettily outlined 

 with black, and with an interrupting spot on the eighth segment. 



Unfortunately, I cannot give an account of the appearance during 

 hibernation ; both the young larvae referred to above, and those also 

 which on two other occasions I received from other friends, having 

 died whilst no more than a quai'ter of an inch in length. How- 

 ever, I think that the smallest of the three I am now about to 

 describe had, when first sent to me, scarcely increased in bulk since 

 hibernation. 



Mr. Harwood, still most kindly mindful to help me with this 

 species, sent me three young larvae of varying size, which he had 

 beaten from oak trees near Colchester, and at St. Osyth, on the 10th, 

 16th, and l7th of June, 1873. These were kept separate, and their 

 progress was as follows : — No. 1, June 11th ; length, three-quarters of 

 an inch, moulted 19th, increased to one and three-eighths of an inch, 

 spun up July 1st ; imago 21st, a male. No. 2, June 18th ; length, 

 five-eighths of an inch, moulted 21st, increased to three-quarters of 

 an inch, moulted 30th, increased to one and three-eighths of an inch, 

 spun up July 12th ; imago August 2nd, a male. No. 3, June 18th ; 

 length, half an inch, increased to five-eighths of an inch, moulted 21th, 



