270 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



no opportunity of watching it for themselves. Its peculiar 

 form has been carefully described by Mr. Newman, and so 

 often figures in groups of caterpillars that any description of 

 mine would be superfluous. 



About a score of eggs were laid by a worn female taken at 

 sugar; one of the young larvas was given to me. It was very 

 small and very miserable looking when it came into my 

 hands; it had ceased eating previous to moulting. In two 

 days, that is, by the 21st of August, the mask fell from the 

 face, and then it began the hard task of extricating itself 

 from its old skin. The operation lasted about half an hour, 

 the larva stopping every now and then for a few minutes' 

 rest before resuming its struggles. I had never before had 

 an opportunity of seeing lliis species moulting, and as it had 

 used its long legs just before in walking (though certainly 

 with very little vigour) I was not prepared to see them cast 

 with the old skin ; but soon two new pairs were perceived 

 doubled up against the sides of the larva; and this accounts 

 for the great difficulty Fagi found in freeing itself, as the 

 comparative stiffness of the legs prevented its working back- 

 wards and forwards, after the wriggling fashion of other 

 larvae. The legs did not all get free till the skin had been 

 pushed back to the 6th segment, and then even the flattened 

 tail made its way out with comparative ease. It next 

 proceeded to devour the cast skin, all but the head — which 

 was either too tough, or else was not worth seeking, as it had 

 fallen to the bottom of the cage — and one leg ; these were 

 the only relics of the grand struggle. 



After a day's rest it began to eat beech, oak, and a little 

 birch. I sketched it in its various stages, and observed that 

 the two caudal horns are not alike in colour, one being rust- 

 red and the other metallic-blue; this was more noticeable as 

 the larva increased in size. It ate sometimes during the 

 day, but was more often at rest, with the body curved round, 

 so that the last segment touched the 1st, the long legs folded 

 one over the other, and holding on to the twig by the four 

 pairs of claspers. On Thursday, the 31st, it ceased eating; 

 and by Sunday morning had again changed its skin. 



After a fevv hours' rest Fagi seemed a different creature ; 

 began to feed with a voracity which I have seen in no other 

 larva, — not even in Chelonia caja. All day long it was 



