82 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



inconspicuous is the true head, that I have found it a very hard 

 matter to convince friends as to the " right end " of this singular 

 caterpillar. As this species is but a very short time in the pupal 

 state, it departs from the more general habit of the Hawk Moths 

 to go deep into the ground, and merely constructs a flimsy 

 puparium upon the surface. 



The Zygsenidae, comprising the Burnets and Foresters, appear 

 fairly well represented, perhaps the commonest being Procris 

 viridi-pulverulenta, which first appears on the wing in November, 

 and remains out a considerable time. On a bright sunshiny day 

 the metallic green wings of these little moths, flying slowly along, 

 have a very beautiful appearance. 



The Lithosidse, or " Footmen " group, so called from the gay 

 appearance of many species in both the larval and perfect states, 

 are numerous. Among those that I have met with are Lithosia 

 altemana, Lithosia bicolor, Cluaca rubricosta (Walker), and 

 several species of Anestia, the larvse of one, Anestia ombrophanes 

 (Meyrick), being very abundant, feeding upon lichen on old 

 fences and apple trees ; also the delicate Termessa nivosa, of 

 which the larvse may be found during August beneath the bark 

 of gum trees, the perfect insect appearing in November. Nor 

 must I forget to mention the Crimson-speckled Footman, 

 Deiopeia pulchella (Lin.), for which I have hunted many a day 

 on the downs near Dover, but always vainly ; it is supposed to 

 feed upon the forget-me-not there, but here, I presume, it must 

 find some other pabulum. 



Nyctemera arnica must be familiar to all, and I have seen 

 specimens in every month of the year. The larvse appear to 

 be most numerous during September, feeding greedily upon 

 Senecio scandens. Their colouration of scarlet and black, and the 

 projecting tufts at. each side of the head, gives them rather a 

 diabolical appearance, although I think they are harmless enough, 

 both from an economic and personal point of view ; in fact, they 

 appear to be great sufferers, a species of small ichneumon fly, 

 probably a Microgaster, thinning their numbers to an enormous 

 extent, each caterpillar when attacked having some dozens of the 

 ichneumons within it. 



We now reach the Ermines, or Ermine, for it is a vexed 

 question as to their being one or two species. It seems generally 

 accepted that Spilosoma obliqua, the so-called Light Ermine, 

 which is generally common in the lowlands, is distinct from 

 Spilosoma fulvohirta (Walker), the Dark Ermine, occurring in the 

 ranges. My experience is as follows : — In the early part of 

 October I captured a specimen of the orthodox obliqua, which 

 deposited ova; these hatched on the 13th October, and the 

 young larvae fed readily upon various low plants. In a month's 

 time they were changing into the last coat, which is darker and 



