1885.) 



20^ 



pink, Tvith the head and wing-cases amber coloured, and a small black oblique spot 

 in the position of the eye. It afterwards changes to an uniform light brown. 



The larva of A. Gcedartella, when full-grown, is about five-eighths of an inch 

 long, and of uniform substance throughout (in which respect in differs from 

 Brockeella, which is attenuate, especially posteriorly) ; it is pinkish flesh colour, 

 distinctly pink in incisions of segments, and studded with whitish raised dots, with 

 a minute black centre and short hair. The spiracles are distinct, and almost as large 

 as the spots. The spots and the spiracle appear as a band of four spots on each 

 segment, and give the larva the appearance, when looked at on one side, of being 

 banded with spots parallel with the pink incisions of the segments. When looked 

 it from the top, the sub-dorsal bands of spots give it the appearance of being banded 

 ilong the length of the larva. Head and posterior margin of plate on second seg- 

 ment brownish. Anal plate also brownish, with a horse-shoe shaped mark on the 

 apper part. The lower portion forms a slight point ; the general shape and colour 

 of the anal plate is the shape and colour of one of the scales in a birch catkin, 

 ^hen a larva attacks a fresh catkin, it invariably begins near the bottom of the 

 atkin, and eats in and upward. When, therefore, the larva has almost got into the 

 atkin, the projecting portion, that is, the anal plate, is in the same direction as the 

 cales of the catkin. This assimilation is sometimes of a most remarkable character. 

 Che hole which the larva makes being very small externally, the larva has to use 

 onsiderable exertion to squeeze itself in ; this has the result of forcing from the 

 inal segment a portion which appears as a little round pinkish knob, exactly similar 

 n appearance to the little pinkish knobs under — that is, near — the scales of the 

 atkin, when the catkin is in a condition to separate just previously to the anthers 

 howing. The two projecting hind feet of the larva have the appearance of, and are 

 n the relative position of the incipient anthers, and complete a most marvellous 

 )iece of assimilation. Seen like this, it would be impossible to detect the departing 

 arva from the surrounding catkin, but having disturbed a larva, I was fortunate in 

 matching it get back into its catkin. It took ten minutes or a quarter of an hour 

 contort itself into the hole, and I at first thought the projection from its body 

 ras due to its having injured itself by its exertions, but I afterwards saw that it 

 ras all right. Subsequently, I saw other larvse crawl into other holes with precisely 

 imilar results. The head and anal plate are rather lighter brown after the last 

 ioult than previously. The larva when young appears carefully to avoid eating the 

 lid-stalk of the catkin, to which the stamens are attached, so that the catkin, 

 Ithough it decays where eaten, does not fall off, and thus affords a secure hiding 

 lace should cold weather intervene, when it is probable the larva stops feeding, aa 

 iie state of growth of the catkin appears to be arrested. When the larva visits a 

 •esh catkin, the hole by which it has entered may be seen, and also, if it has left, 

 le hole by which it left, which is generally near the footstalk of the catkin. Cat- 

 ins which have been eaten by full-grown larvae, especially those of the alder, are 

 ot much more than shells, and a good strong wind will blow them away, leaving 

 at a small piece on the footstalk. The larva feeding on alder are generally rather 

 wker and richer coloured than those on birch, and also several weeks earlier in 

 :Jfiir growth. This is probably due to early hatched moths selecting trees upon 

 hich the catkins, then in quite an immature state, had begun to show, and in this 

 '-spect alder is rather in advance of birch. 



