April, 1908.J THE VICTORIAN NATUKALIST. 195 



Ranges, feed principally upon the various forms of Danthonia 

 penicillata, F. v. M., although probably not exclusively confined 

 to this grass. They are onisiform in shape, and extremely 

 sluggish in their habits, feeding at night, and hiding in the day 

 near the roots of the food-plants, where they remain motionless, 

 and when handled, offer scarcely any signs of life. 



After feeding for about nine months they retire as deeply as 

 possible among the blades of grass, and taking up a position in 

 which the head is uppermost, spin a fragile silken dome over- 

 head, in some cases nearly surrounding themselves with a thin 

 web of silk, in the form of an imperfect cocoon, under which they 

 remain for about a week before assuming the pupal state. 



Tiie young larvae probably suffer much from the attacks of 

 small plant-bugs, to which I attribute the decrease in numbers 

 that occured during the first month or two when breeding them ; 

 for, although having no direct proof, I caught small bugs, intro- 

 duced among the growing grass placed in the breeding cage, and 

 have little doubt about their being responsible for the trouble. 

 It seems just possible that the eggs may be deposited loosely 

 among the grass, the close mat-like growth of which would favour 

 their concealment, as the eggs when laid would fall between the 

 blades and be effectually hidden in the position occupied by the 

 larvae when hiding in the day-time. 



In support of this supposition I may say that in no case did my 

 females of philerope attach their eggs either to growing grass of 

 D. penicillata supplied, or the sides of the cage ; whilst those of 

 H. banksii, laying at the same time, attached them plentifully to 

 the food-plant and to the sides and top of their breeding cage. 

 On the other hand the flattened bases of the eggs would seem to 

 imply their attachment to some surface. 



Egg — The egg is pale yellow, about i mm. in diameter, with 

 sides slightly conical, very obtuse at the apex, and flattened base. 



Larva. — The larvae are hatched about the beginning of May (a 

 month after the eggs are deposited), and when just out are pale 

 yellow with light brown heads, and a few scattered rather long 

 black hairs. 



(It is interesting to note that my larvae of H. banksii and 

 those of H. philerope emerged on the same day, although the 

 eggs of the former were laid six days later, and that the two 

 species differ considerably even at this early stage, the larvse of 

 H. banksii being much lighter in colour, with black heads and 

 shorter hairs.) 



After the first moult, which took place about the middle of 

 May, the larvae were pale green, with darker dorsal line, thin 

 light-yellow subdorsal lines, and pale-yellow line along spiracles. 

 Head shining reddish-brown. Body somewhat onisiform, and 

 thinly covered with short black hairs. Length, about 3 mm. 



