1868.] ' 253 



extremity ending in two very small points. The anterior legs are brownish-red, and 

 the prolegs slightly tipped with brown ; the oval spiracles whitish, outlined with 

 blackish. The brown tubercular spots generally round, but sometimes oval on 

 the third and fourth segments : on these segments also they are placed in a 

 transverse row on the back, and end at the sides in a triangular group of three 

 larger spots. Altogether, there are twelve spots on each of these thoracic segments. 

 The other segments, to the twelfth inclusive, have the usual two pairs on the back 

 of each, and the thirteenth one pair ; the anterior larger than the posterior pair ; 

 and all gradually diminishing in size from the fifth to the eleventh segment, but on 

 the twelfth they become larger again, and are there transversely oval in shape. 



Each spiracle has a large round spot above and below it, another behind and a 

 small one in front of it ; these two last-mentioned are sometimes both small, and 

 sometimes one of them is absent ; but the two that are above and below the 

 spiracles are larger than any on the back. 



The last larva (sent me on July 25th) I retained, and noticed that before 

 August commenced it had entered the earth to change ; but, at the end of August 

 or beginning of September, instead of a moth, I observed a myriad of small winged 

 creatures emerging, and, on digging, found a long, conical, whity-brown cocoon 

 which the little parasitic larvae had constructed over the remains of their victim. 

 These, as mentioned above, were Microgaster alvearius, and it seems a mystery how 

 this parasite can lay its eggs upon the larva of Te^npU, boring as it does into the 

 leaf-stalks or stems of Heracleum as soon as hatched ; and the minute orifice it 

 then makes being soon closed by the exudation of sap. Neither does it show itself 

 again (\inless the plant fails to supply sufficient food), but in nature gnaws a hole 

 just below the surface of the earth for its escape. 



Mr. Doubleday most kindly procured for me two pupa-cases from which the 

 moths had emerged, but which were in excellent condition, so that I could take a 

 good figm-e of them. The pupa is barely an inch long, strong in texture, moderately 

 stout and uniform in bulk, tapering gradually near the abdominal tip, which is 

 terminated by a thick blunt spike ; the rigns of the abdomen very plump and 

 deeply divided ; the anal spike is black, all the rest of the surface purplish-brown, 

 but shining with a leaden hue, as though covered with plumbago. 



I understand M. de Graslin bred his moths in August, but in Yorkshire they are 

 seldom found till the third week in September. — Wm. Buckler, Emsworth. 



Note on the larva of Zygcena lonicerce. — Early in June, 1867, I had the 

 pleasui-e to receive from my kind friend, Mr. Doubleday, a dozen larvae of this 

 species feeding on the yellow vetchling (Latliyrus pratensis) ; they fed well for 

 about a week, and then began to spin their cocoons,* some yellow and others white, 

 and the perfect insects came forth from the 7th to 16th of July. 



When full-grown they were nearly one inch in length, very plump, with the 

 segments deeply divided ; and may all be described as follows : — The body of almost 

 uniform thickness, the head very small and retractile, black and shining ; the 

 mouth ochrecus-yellow margined with black ; the palpi yellow at their bases, with 



• It seeraB the colour of the cocoon cannot be used to distinguish our five-, from our six-spot 

 Burnets, when in the pupii state. 



