102 r December, 



shape to each end of the central divisions ; if approached too closely it relinquishes 

 its work until the intruder has retired. When it has entirely completed the outer 

 covering of its cocoon, it descends from its elevated position and commences under- 

 neath. How this cocoon is formed I am not in a position to say, never having been 

 able to follow the larva's movements during its construction. A few days after the 

 cocoon is completed, the larva turns to a little pale brown coloured pupa, its head 

 being furnished with three or four little stumpy spines ; the old larval skin being 

 ejected from the cocoon. After an interval the pupa's head and anal segment turn 

 dark brown, the back of the wing-sheaths also becoming clouded with dark brown, 

 its antennae and feet assuming a much deeper tone than the general colour of the 

 body, the abdominal segments sink in, but the sides remain slightly raised, and the 

 dorsal vessel is visible as a black dash down the centre of the 3rd and 4th abdominal 

 segments. In this state it remains, though in a somewhat curved-up posture, until 

 the following spring, when the lower half of the wing-sheaths,which at first become 

 patched with black dashes, ultimately turn black all over. At this period the 

 thorax has a slight bronzy look, surrounded with a darkish tint, and eventually 

 the whole of the body changes to a similar colour. From my not having witnessed 

 any movement on the part of the pupa, I am inclined to think that it remains 

 immoveable throughout the whole period of pupation ; neither am I acquainted with 

 the full extent of the imago's life ; one I kept watch over lived nine days, and 

 became by that time very feeble, and, had it not been killed by accident, I question 

 if it would have lived above a day or two longer. — Chas. Healy, 74, Napier Street, 

 Hoxton, N. 



Captures in the neighbourhood of Colchester. — The following is a list of the 

 principal Lepidoptera captured in this neighbourhood up to the present date this 

 year. It is to be understood that they were not all taken by myself, though I 

 obtained specimens of most of them. 



Rhopaloceea. 

 Anthocaris ca/rdamines (scarcer than usual), Oonepteryx rhamni (larvse common 

 on buckthorn), Argynnis Adippe, A. Euphrosyne (not common), Selene (by no means 

 common), Melitoia Athalia (common, but very local), Vanessa cardui (larvse common 

 on thistles), Limenitis Sibylla (not rare), Satyrus Egeria (common at Hartley Wood, 

 St. Osyth), Thecla rubi (larvaa on broom), T. quercds (larvse on oak), Nemeobivs 

 Lucina (Hartley Wood, St. Osyth), Hesperia Sylvanus (common), H. linea. 



Sphingid^. 

 Smerinthus ocellatiis, 8. populi, S. tilice, Sphinx ligustri, ChcBrocampa eVpenor 

 (bred), Macroglossa stellatarum, Sesia tipuUformis (not uncommon), S. myopcBformiSf 

 8. a/piformis, 8. bembeciformis. 



BOMBYCES. 



Zenzera Msculi, Cossus ligniperda, HepioJlus hectus (excessively abundant), 

 Limacodes testudo (several), Calligenia ininiata, Lithosia mesomella, L. anireola 

 (rarer than usual), Chelonia villica (one specimen, very scarce here), Arctia mendica 

 (numbers of larvse feeding) , Liparis salicis, Orgyia pudibimda (common), O.fascelina 

 (five larvse on broom), Trichiura cratcegi (larvae on whitethorn), Pcecilocampa 

 po2Juli (larvse on oak), Eriogaster lanestris (thousands of larvse), Bonibyx neustria 

 (getting common again), B. qxi^ercHs (commoner than usual), Lasiocampa querdfolia, 

 Satiirnia carpini. 



