REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 345 



irsca), with a number of eggs already deposited on them, from 

 which circumstance, in the absence of any accompanying statement, 

 it may be presumerl that the moths were captured on that tree. 

 A large number of eggs were subsequently deposited by the moth, 

 of which, through the kindness of Mr Louis Sautter, 85 were brought to 

 me, which were said to have been laid June 25. When the eggs were 

 received by me on the 30th, they showed a circular depression on their 

 flattened svirface, which, in the eggs of many of our moths, indicates an 

 advanced stage in their development. They were of a light honey- 

 yellow color, with some reddish spots or clouds maculating their border. 

 By July 2d the larvae could be plainly seen in frequent motion in a few 

 of the eggs, through the transparent shell. On the following day, the 

 larval bands were quite visible. 



Four of the larvae were disclosed July 4, and 12 additional during the 

 five days following ; of tliese the last ones to emerge were quite feeble — 

 four of them dying without partaking of food. None of the other eggs 

 developed, probably from failure in fertilization, resulting from a dis- 

 turbed coition. Thus it will be seen that the duration of the egg stage 

 was from nine to 14 days. 



The larvae fed only at long intervals, passing most of their time in 

 wandering over the leaves or resting on their petioles. One larva molted 

 July 11; two the 12th and four on the night of the 14th. Two larvae 

 were in position for the second molting on the i6th, indicating progress 

 in the change by their translucent, empty head-cases and the withdrawn 

 heads covered by the skin of the first segment. The entire integument 

 was cast the following day. The two surviving larvae molted for the third 

 time July 30 and August 2. The fourth molt of the sole survivor 

 occurred on the 15th. Unfortunately, it died of diarrhoea three days 

 later — the result, probably, of its having been fed for so long a time on 

 a food plant unnatural io it. The chestnut leaves which were at first 

 given to the young larvae were refused. It not being convenient to pro- 

 vide them with buttonwood, its onlv food-plant as given by Harris, oak, 

 mentioned by Abbot as one of their food-plants in the south, was 

 procured for them, upon which they fed, but at no time in a very earnest 

 manner. An attempt was afterward made to transfer them to pine, on 

 which Dr Fitch states that they are almost invariably found in the 

 northern states, but they were unwilling to make the change." The 

 small size of the one larva which passed the fourth molt successfully, 



a Dr Hulst states that these larvae are difficult to rear in confinement, thruerh hardy 

 under natural conditions. 



