BOARMID.-E—DASYDIA. i6i 



the blackest upon heaths where the soil is more or less peaty, 

 and the smooth grey upon the limestones of the west ; the 

 more so since the effort to influence colour in this species by 

 its surroundings in an artificial manner has hitherto totally 

 failed. Professor Poultou in the course of his experiments 

 fed up a portion of his larviv among surroundings consisting 

 of white paper and lumps of chalk, and others among black 

 paper and lumps of coal, but no difierence whatever was 

 observable in the colour of the resulting specimens. 

 On the wing in July and August. 



Larva rather short and stumpy, a little flattened beneath, 

 and having a projecting lateral ridge or edge, set with raised 

 points, from between which incised lines cross the body, 

 dividing each segment into a broad raised front band and 

 several narrow divisions behind it ; head rather flattened in 

 front, pale grej'ish-brown, mottled with dask}- brown ; dorsal 

 region black-brown or grey-brown abundantly dusted with 

 black ; all the usual raised dots erected into points, tipped 

 with white ; on the thirteenth segment is a pair of grey 

 tubercles tipped with white ; outside these the hinder seg- 

 ments are much paler ; undersurface, legs, and prolegs 

 purplish-brown ; and often there is a broad, central, sharply 

 definite, grey-black abdominal stripe. (From larva3 furnished 

 by Mr. F. C. Woodforde.) 



September to May on Hclianthemum vulgare, Potentllla 

 reptans, P. fragariastrum, Fotcrium sanguisorha, Geranhim 

 lucidum, and other low-growing plants ; in confinement upon 

 strawberry, chickweed, plantain, and even hawthorn ; feeding 

 at night, hiding during the day under the leaves or branches 

 of its food-plant in a very awkward, stifl" position, lying on 

 its back or side with its head down and legs drawn together. 

 If it moves at all at this time it is only to take hold with its 

 prolegs. and shiver a little fi-om side to side. 



Pupa not very stout, smooth and glossy, limb and antenna- 

 cases very closely packed and hardly having a trace of sculp- 

 VOL. VII. L 



