1882. J 195 



The larva has the body dark green ; the head is green ; on its centre, in front, 

 is a long black line which reaches near to the mouth ; above, over the eyes, is a 

 much shorter lateral line. Over the legs is a blackish waved line, and above that 

 again is a less distinct line. On the thoracic segments are some tubercles, while 

 over the anal segment is a black mark, cleft behind, where it is broader than it is at 

 the apex ; the cerci are black. A thin white line runs through the spiracles. 



The larva of salicivorus may be known from that of miliaris by the much 

 longer central stripe and broader lateral one on head ; by the less clearly indicated 

 black stripe on the sides of the body above, by the clearly indicated waved lines over 

 the legs, by the legs wanting the oblique black mark in front of them found in 

 miliaris, and by the distinct black mark over the anus. In habits they are identical, 

 and they may be sometimes found feeding on the same sallow bush. 



Clydesdale, Worcester. 



5. N. curtispina, Thorns. 



6. J¥. palliatus, Thorns. 



7. N. lacteus, Thorns. 

 Glasgow : January, 1882. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LAEVA, &c, OF EYDE(ECIA NICTITANS. 



BY WILLIAM BUCKLER. 



As I am not aware of any other than the very brief description 

 of the larva of this species, from Treitschke, in Stainton's Manual, I 

 am induced to offer one resulting from my own observations. 



My first acquaintance with the larva was in August, 1862, when 

 Mr. Hydes, of Sheffield, sent me six full-grown examples, reperted to 

 have fed on some kind of grass, but as I could not then obtain any 

 more precise knowledge of their habits, I contented myself with a 

 figure from one of them, and that figure soon proved very serviceable 

 in protecting me from an error, when a flower-head of Iris pseudacorus 

 with a larva of nictitans placed in it, was sent to me as that of Apamea 

 fibrosa — a larva which in all the subsequent years has not yet been 

 forthcoming ! 



However, sixteen years later by a mere chance I was able to im- 

 prove my acquaintance with nictitans, for on 7th of June, 1878, I 

 happened to pick up a small stone that rested on a very little tuft of 

 I*oa maritima in gravelly soil, near a salt watercourse, and found I 

 had torn away with the stone a silken covering from a very young 

 Noctua larva, apparently unknown to me, which I brought home as a 

 prize to be carefully tended, watched, and figured ; it soon moulted, 



