TRIFID&. 153 



usually some shade of yellow, or when younger, yellow- 

 brown. 



September and October ; but abroad, where more than one 

 generation is found in the year, it is said to feed in June and 

 August. Upon very many species of herbaceous plants. 

 Mr. Tugwell fed his larvae upon scarlet geranium. He says 

 that for the first fortnight they gnaw only the undersurface 

 of the leaves of the food plant, but after this eat holes in the 

 leaves "and no sooner is the hole sufficiently large to admit 

 the head than they crawl slowly through it, only to commence 

 another hole, and repeat the process again and again so as to 

 make the plant look as though riddled with shot. They also 

 now commence to eat holes in the succulent stems and shoots, 

 burrowing quite into the plant, and evince a strong liking 

 for the buds and flowers. When about half grown they 

 become terrible cannibals, eating their companions with a 

 zest and pertinacity quite horrible. They are mean and 

 cowardhr, generally seizing their weaker and more helpless 

 brethren when about to cast their skins. As they become 

 full-fed they appear to hold each other in mortal fear ; for 

 when touched by another, ever so lightly, they will wriggle, 

 twist, and throw themselves off the plant to escape a fate 

 which they had possibly inflicted on others. They are most 

 troublesome, since it is necessary to isolate them. Yesterday 

 I had three full-fed that appeared to desire to pupate, so I 

 put them into a large case to do so, but presently discovered 

 two of them making another meal off the third, one eating 

 his head, the other his tail. Imagine my disgust ! I never 

 met their equals as cannibals. I think they would eat me 

 without much ado, at any rate they bit my hand sharply." 



It is possible that the geranium used by Mr. Tugwell may 

 not have been a thoroughly favoured food ; or that some 

 change of food-plant is desired as the larva grows. Its 

 range of food is very large — common groundsel, especially 

 the seeds, lucerne, wild mignonette (Reseda lutea and B. 

 lutcola), green peas, young pumpkins, Gladiolus (boring into 



