884.] 137 



low and again (of course) castigata, also stray examples of H. thymiaria, and one 

 r two other Geometrce ; but last year (1883) there' turned up what the late Mr. 

 luckier termed a " puzzler." I had sent him without examination the whole of my 

 rst take from the mugwort, but when, at his desire, I went a second time, and the 

 irvsB had grown bigger, I found amongst my captures one that I could not deter- 

 line ; 80, when I sent it on I called his attention specially to it : in his reply he 

 aid me he had already detected a similar larva in the first consignment, which he 

 lad placed by itself for observation, and that he had at length come to the conclusion 

 tiat it was something he had seen once before, but did not know what to call it. 

 )r. Knaggs had on one occasion sent him this larva (I presume from somewhere on 

 he South coast), but the moth had not been bred. 



For a time, therefore, we were very pleased at our luck, and looked to be able 

 > announce some species at least " new to Britain ;" but our hopes were not destined 

 o be long-lived : one of these two larvse my friend injured when changing its food, 

 nd the other gradually ceased feeding, and died of inanition, though it had been 

 ried with various flowers, and had seemed for a time fonder of Solidago virgaurea 

 ban of the Artemisia ; it was captured about the middle of October, and it lived 

 n to November 2l8t or 22nd. 



This year again I visited the locality on October 4th, and the first larva that 

 sll into my umbrella (I got but a bare half-dozen of all sorts on that day) was 

 nother of these puzzlers ; whether or not T hurt it, I cannot say, any way, I was 

 oon spared any uncertainty, for after it was boxed it never fed, and in three or four 

 lays* time was dead, and I have not been able to find another. 



In the hope that some one else may be mors fortunate, I send this note, with 

 he following description of my this year's example : — 



Length, 13 mm. Figure rather stumpy, skin rugose, ground-colour rich creamy- 

 ^liite, head brown, the dorsal thread rather darker than the ground, and bordered 

 hroughout with strong streaks of full brown, which are widest just at the middle 

 f each segment, and narrow where they meet at the folds ; in the same way the 

 >rown sub-dorsal line varies in width, swelling out in the middle of each segment, 

 aid tapering to the folds ; on segments 5 — 9 these lines, dorsal and sub-dorsal, are 

 mited at their broadest by a deeper brown suffusion, which leaves the fold pale, but 

 incloses the front pair of pale trapezoidals, and is hollowed out behind on either 

 lide the dorsal line so as to let the hinder pair of trapezoidals stand as the apices of 

 ■wo pale spaces extending to the fold, and altogether presenting something of the 

 ifEect of a good fat |VI, supposing its middle V filled up ; there is a redder brown 

 ¥aved line just above the spiracles, which stand on pale ground colour, and beneath 

 hem a darker brown suffused region fading off paler into the pinkish-white of the 

 )elly, and there is a central ventral line of brown. 



Expallidata, perhaps, comes nearest to this larva, but the difference is apparent 

 in comparison, and the stranger belongs to a smaller species. 



I am conscious my description does not express exactly what I see ; however, 

 kir. Buckler made very careful drawings, both life size and magnified, and Mr. 

 Bignell has now very kindly figured two segments for me, and preserved the last 

 arva ; we have ample materials for identification, therefore, when the larva turns 

 ip again. — J. Hellins, Exeter : October 15th, 1884. 



