64 LEPTDOPTERA. 



Larva stout, rounded, smooth, with, a few short scattered 

 hairs; incisions of the segments compressed; head small, 

 yellow, spotted with black ; body greenish-white with a broad 

 deep yellow transverse band on each segment from spiracle 

 to spiracle ; on each segment are also four large black dorsal 

 spots, the second pair larger and elongated laterally; sub- 

 dorsal line represented by two black spots and two black 

 transverse lines on each segment ; spiracles black, each fol- 

 lowed by a black spot and having two obliquely placed black 

 spots below it ; legs and prolegs yellowish, the latter marked 

 in front and the former behind with black ; on the underside 

 of the spiracles are two rows of irregular spots and streaks 

 forming an interrupted band on each side of the legs ; a 

 white lateral spot, enclosing a black one, on each proleg ; on 

 the undersurface are two black spots each on the third to the 

 sixth and eleventh to thirteenth segments, those on the fifth, 

 sixth, and eleventh the most conspicuous. (0. Fenn.) 



June and July upon mullein, more particularly the woolly 

 species, Verbascum thapsus, and V. pulvcrulentum ; Scroplm- 

 laria nodosa, S. aquatica, and various non-British plants of 

 that genus. It has even been found upon Buddlcca globosa , a 

 North American shrub cultivated in gardens. Unlike some 

 of its allies, it eats the leaves of mullein and Serqphularia in 

 preference to the flowers. From its habit of feeding quite 

 exposed and most conspicuously in the sunshine it seems 

 extremely likely to be destroyed by birds, but is so irritable 

 that if touched it throws itself about, exuding a greenish 

 fluid from its mouth, and tumbles so promptly down among 

 the dead leaves of the plant that the danger is much obviated. 

 There is some reason to believe that these larvae are distasteful 

 to birds, and direct evidence to this effect is furnished by 

 several observers. On the other hand, the late Mr. D'Orville 

 of Exeter distinctly states that he has had in various years 

 hundreds of the larvas upon the Verbascum plants which he 

 cultivated in his garden, and that so soon as they became 

 large enough to appear conspicuously upon the leaves they 



