1867.] 157 



mottled with purplish-brown, chiefly about the black spiracles, and close beneath 

 them is a pale stripe of yellowish-grey, its upper edge still paler ; the belly and 

 legs of a similar tint, but a trifle darker. The four tubercular pale dots, ringed 

 with dark brown, are situated within the dark marks on the back of each segment 

 This is a distinction by which it may be readily identified. — Id. 



Note on PteropJiorus osteodactylus. — For years past, ever since I learned that 

 larv^ could be beaten from various wild flowers, and that the golden-rod was good 

 for certain Eupithecice, I had been puzzled with a little fusiform, brown-striped 

 larva, which T often found on it, but could never rear to the perfect insect, as it 

 always died in the winter. I remember at one time sending specimens to some 

 five or six entomologists (not beginners like myself), by whom it was referred to 

 as many different genera and families, not of Lepidoptera only, but also of one or 

 two other orders, — much of course to my satisfaction. 



However, on reading in a number of the " Entomologist " this year a note by 

 Mr. Gregson on osteodactyVus, I saw at once that he had solved my puzzle ; and 

 since then I have confirmed his observations by myself breeding, quite unex- 

 pectedly, three specimens of the moth, — one on July 8th, one on August 26th, and 

 the third I found dead, not having noticed when it came out. I remember that 

 last year two or three of these larvEe were on some golden-rod flowers, which I had 

 picked for another species, but I took no care of them, expecting that, as usual, 

 they would dry up in the winter. The only difference in their treatment was this, 

 that they were left to take their chance (mostly outdoors in a shady corner of my 

 garden), with their withered food in a flower-pot, the earth in which was covered 

 with a thick growth of moss {Rypnum sericeum). I noticed that two of them, after 

 walking about for a time on the covering of the pot, at last settled down for 

 hybernation just where the leno and the moss creeping up to the rim met, and 

 spun a thread or two to keep themselves somewhat protected. I did not watch 

 them much after this, but imagine they left their hybernacula some time in April, 

 for I know it must have been in that month that, as I was beating the sallows for 

 catkins tenanted by Xanthice, one of these little golden-rod larvse fell into my net, 

 evidently being on his travels previously to spinning. 



This capture raised my hopes of at last seeing the moth, so I tried him with 

 various kinds of food then out in leaf, but could not see that he ate anything ; and, 

 having unfortunately squeezed him to death, I once more gave up the puzzle as a 

 bad job. It was a great relief, therefore, to me to read Mr. Gregson's note, and 

 still more so to breed the moths myself; for though in a general way I don't caro 

 much for " small things," finding plenty of occupation for all my spare time in 

 trying to rear Macros, yet this little larva coming in my way year after year 

 troubled me. 



The moths seem to be on the wing in July and August : the larvae feed 

 through September and October, till the downy seeds of the golden-rod fly away, 

 then hybernate till April, when, after moving about a little, they spin up. — 

 J. Hellins, Exeter, Sept. 18, 1867. 



P.S. — Since writing the above, I have been reminded by Mr. Buckler that 

 three or four years ago I sent him some larvae, beaten from the flowers and 



