October, 18S1.] 97 



DeilepMla Alecto, L. — The larvae of this fine species were very common in 

 vineyards in September, and at times, I was told, they commit great ravages. The 

 following is a description of a full-grown larva : — Length, 3 in. ; when fully ex- 

 tended, 3 in. 6 lin. ; head small and retractile within the second and third segments ; 

 fourth and fifth segments much swollen, giving the larva the appearance, when the 

 head is withdrawn, of possessing a hood ; remaining segments of almost uniform 

 thickness ; colour, a beautiful green, something the hue of a fresh vine leaf, irrorated 

 more or less with darker green, and faint yellow-green spots, which seem to be 

 placed just beneath, and show through the skin ; dorsal line minute, dark green and 

 pulsating ; a pale yellow sub-dorsal stripe, bordered above by dark green ; on the 

 fifth to eleventh segments there is an oval-shaped ocellated spot, composed of an 

 outer ring of pale yellow enclosing a bluish eye ; these spots are most conspicuous 

 on the fifth and sixth segments, but gradually die away towards the eleventh ; their 

 base rests on the sub-dorsal stripe ; legs pale red ; horn small, pinkish-brown, with 

 black tip ; spiracles minute, pale red. When full grown, the larva descends to the 

 ground and spins a loose network cocoon amongst the debris on the surface, and in 

 this changes to a pinkish-brown chrysalis. Some of these I brought to England in 

 April, 1879, and they produced moths in June and July. 



Smerinthus populi, L. — I noticed a number of larvae of this species on some 

 small poplar trees on 12th October. 



llacroglossa stellatamm, L. — Very abundant. On 24th May, found a full 

 grown larva feeding on Galium verum, and observed a female busily engaged 

 depositing her eggs on the same plant. There was a succession of broods through- 

 out the summer. 



Macroglossa croaUca, Esp. — This beautiful moth was common both in the per- 

 fect and larva stages. I first met with it on 17th May, and continued to see it 

 almost every day until towards the end of September, so, no doubt there was a suc- 

 cession of broods. One day I noticed a female depositing her eggs while she 

 hovered above a plant of Scabious (Scabiosa arvensis), and later on found the larvae, 

 of which the following is a description : — Length, 2 in. ; cylindrical ; head sub- 

 ovate ; dorsal area pinkish-purple ; a broad, pale yellowish, sub-dorsal stripe, some- 

 what attenuated towards the anterior segments, and bordered with dark pinkish- 

 purple above, runs from the second segment to the thirteenth, where it dies away at 

 the base of the horn ; spiracular and ventral regions pale pinkish-yellow, the yellow 

 chiefly predominating below the spiracles, where it forms an indistinct and inter- 

 rupted stripe ; spiracles minute, deep orange ; head, legs, and claspers pale pink; 

 horn deep purple, faintly tipped with black, and with very small blunt white spines. 

 The whole surface of the larva is thickly irrorated with minute white dots, wnich 

 give it a somewhat roughened appearance. When full fed it becomes a beautiful 

 magenta-colour, and the skin is smooth and glossy. A common variety of this larva 

 is bluish-green, with a white dorsal line and indistinct whitish spiracular stripe, and 

 covered with the same minute white dots. It spins a slight cocoon among dead 

 leaves and de'bris on the surface of the ground, wherein it changes to a bright chest- 

 nut coloured shining pupa. These larvae are terribly subject to the attacks of 

 ichneumons, and I only succeeded in obtaining half a dozen healthy pupa?, from 

 which but a single perfect insect was bred, in England, in June, 1879. 



