BOARMIDjE—RUMIA. 351 



varying colours of the larva of this species, from dark brown 

 to green, are directly affected, and to all appearance caused, 

 by their surroundings ; the green colour being gradually 

 assumed by almost every larva which was fed continuously 

 on very green and light-coloured food ; while those fed on 

 old dark green leaves, with dark twigs, remained in a large 

 proportion dark brown. While watching the larvas in the 

 course of these experiments Miss Gould made the curious and 

 interesting discovery that, when hanging by a thread from 

 the food plant, the larva would whirl itself round when dis- 

 turbed, and spin upon the thread with such swiftness as to 

 become quite indistinguishable from any bit of dead leaf 

 twirling in the wind on a thread of spider's web. 



Pupa elongated and moderately slender ; eye-covers smooth 

 and prominent ; limb and antenna-covers very strongly 

 marked, but not sculptured ; wing-covers showing all the 

 nervures raised in strong relief, with the surface between so 

 sunken that the whole front thoracic region is corded longi- 

 tudinally with ribs and limbs, and without sculpture ; colour 

 black-brown ; the dorsal region also smooth, dull pale olive- 

 brown, or yellow-brown ; abdominal segments similar but of 

 a redder colour towards the anal extremity ; cremaster darker, 

 short and blunt, roughened and furnished with a bunch of 

 curled bristles. In a thin paper-like silken cocoon of a pink 

 or reddish colour, among leaves or rubbish on the ground. 



It has been definitely ascertained that this species passes 

 the winter in the larva, and also in the pupa state. The Rev. 

 C. R. Bree says " it differs from all other British species as 

 far as I am aware in its broods ; it emerges from the pupa 

 state at three different periods of the same year — viz., April, 

 June, and August ; but the June brood is not the produce of 

 the April moths, but of those of the preceding August, which 

 pass the winter in the larva state, and feed again in the 

 spring, while those from the June brood become pupas in the 

 autumn, and produce moths in April. The specimens which 



