142 LEPIDOPTERA. 



wings white ; others in the same batch ai'e unusually white. 

 There is here also an unusual form of variation — the mass of 

 long scales which covers the thorax in the male becoming 

 sometimes so thick and spreading as to resemble a large 

 hood, overhanging the bases of the wings. The female varies 

 from brown to black. 



On the wing in Februar)^ and March. 



Larva rugose, rather bristly, of fairly even breadth, but 

 with every segment rather full and the sides compressed ; 

 the usual raised dots distinct, those on the back conspicuous 

 as small dull orange or black warts ; head rounded, brown 

 or grey ; body black-brown, greenish-brown, or purplish- 

 brown ; sometimes short longitudinal black lines appear on 

 the back of the second, third, and fourth segments ; often 

 there is a mottling of orange colour on the back and 

 especially on the sides, sometimes white dots on the second 

 and thirteenth segments ; legs and prolegs of the colour of 

 the body ; undersurface rather paler. 



The Rev. J. Hellins, remarking on the extreme similarity 

 of this larva to that of FMcjalia pilosaria, points out that its 

 dorsal raised spots are not so large or so conspicuous, and that 

 the ochreous V mark often visible on the sixth and seventh 

 seo-ments in P. jnlosaria is absent in the present species. 



April and May, sometimes to the beginning of June, on 

 oak and occasionally on hawthorn, hornbeam, birch, and 

 elm. The leaf-buds of hawthorn form an excellent sub- 

 stitute, in confinement, as food for young larvas until the oak 

 comes into leaf. Naturally, no doubt they bore into oak 

 buds at this early season. The eggs are laid in some deep 

 chink in the bark of an oak tree. 



Pupa shining, red-bi-own, with a darker cremaster, having 

 on its sides small knobs, and terminated by a weak slender 

 forked spike. (Dr. Hofmann.) In the earth, sometimes at a 

 depth of eighteen inches. As this species is rather difficult 

 to rear I quote some remarks by Mr. Alfred Ficklin. '• I had 



