TRTFfD/E. 371 



red upon' the central portion of the fore wings, where 

 sometimess there is also a slender indented central line or 

 shade; but. among specimens taken near Reading by Mrs. 

 Bazett and Mr. W. Holland is a greatly extended range of 

 •variation. Some individuals have the ground colour in the 

 middle more abundantly clouded and even suffused with 

 rust-red, except a yellow edging to the first and second 

 lines; others without these yellow lines have this middle 

 portion completely and regularly tawny-red or orange-red 

 and quite smooth, aud of these some have the basal and 

 hind marginal bands deeper purple, almost of a leaden tint, 

 while in others the purple becomes in various degrees more 

 tawny or orange-red, till in some specimens there is hardly 

 a distinction of colour between the bands and the centre, the 

 whole being of a smooth orange-red ; more rarely the same 

 is observable in a paler form, the whole surface being fulvous. 

 In its more typical forms, as well as in these varieties, this 

 is an insect of quite unusual beauty. 



On the wing in September and the beginning of October. 



Larva plump with slightly swollen segments, tapering in 

 front, and a little behind ; head rather small, rounded, pale 

 brown, glossy ; body reddish-brown ; dorsal and subdorsal 

 lines very slender, reddish-white or white, usual raised 

 dots brownish -white surrounded with dark brown ; spiracles 

 black; spiracular stripe brownish-drab; undersurface and 

 legs similar. 



March or April to the beginning of June, on beech, maple, 

 and hornbeam, or even sycamore in confinement, but appa- 

 rently most attached to maple where it grows at the edges of 

 beech woods on chalk slopes. When just hatched it bores 

 into an unopened bud, which it empties, and as the leaves 

 begin to appear unites two of them together with silk, and 

 hides itself securely between. On holding the branches up 

 to the light the larv« can be seen in these habitations. 

 Mr. W. Holland says that as they grow older they become 



