244 LEPIDOPTERA. 



body covered with numerous short, scattered, whitish hairs. 

 Colour dull grass green ; dorsal line darker ; spiracular line 

 and anal points whitish ; mouth black. (Fenn.) The Rev. 

 J. Hellins says that when full grown the anal points become 

 pink. 



On Poa annua and other grasses, particularly the common 

 meadow grasses. Rather a sluggish larva, remaining bidden 

 at the roots of grass all day, even, if disturbed, coiling itself 

 up, and continuing coiled for hours, but creeping up the 

 grasses to feed at night. It may be swept up from the grass 

 at that time vpith a net, or picked ofE easily, by searching 

 with a lantern, though even then it is not very conspicuous, 

 as it lies closely to the grass stem, the tapering extremities 

 causing it to look something like a mere thickening or grass 

 knot. It emerges from the egg — which is said to be dropped 

 loosely upon the ground — in July, August, or the beginning 

 of September, and very soon settles down at the roots of the 

 grass for hybernation, and, so far as is known, remains quiet 

 during the winter, though it may possibly eat a little in the 

 warmer nights. In the spring it feeds up tolerably rapidly, 

 becoming full fed towards the end of May. 



Pupa, very stout ; abdomen curved ; head squared, with 

 two widely divergent points ; thorax with a rounded enlarge- 

 ment, edged with yellow, on the back. Colour pale grass 

 green, mottled and irrorated with yellow ; dorsal region with 

 a double row of brown spots ; inner edges of wing-cases 

 shaqjly outlined with brown ; also a curved brown line and 

 broad brownish streak, ending in a spot, on each wing-case. 

 (Fenn). The Rev. J. Hellins says that it is suspended by the 

 tail within the pushed back larva skin, the tail ending in a 

 short, stout, curved spike, on the tij^ of which are a few straight, 

 feeble bristles, quite unfit for suspending the pupa ; but on 

 the ventral surface close to this spike, is a scutcheon of a 

 somewhat rounded form, with a central cicatrice, and, on the 

 front edge, two little projecting knobs, which, with the spike, 



