124 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Segments 5, 6, 7 often with yellowish divisions. Under surface, 

 legs, and claspers pea-green ; along each side is a broad silvery 

 white stripe. Immediately above this stripe the dorsal surface 

 is black, but tones off rapidly into the pea-green, smoky, or dull 

 green. On each segment, dorsally, except the 12th and 13th, 

 are two outward-bent, wedge-shaped, black marks pointing in 

 the direction of the head. These marks are longest on segments 

 10 and 11 ; on the others they stretch along half the length of 

 each segment, except on segment 2, where they are usually 

 small and indistinct. The caterpillar is smooth and cylindrical. 



I may as well continue my notes on these caterpillars : — 



Aug. 13th. — They are not eating so much. They remain 

 motionless for long periods, which looks as if they are nearing 

 hybernation. 20th. — A few have entered the fourth stage. The 

 green of the caterpillars is now very dark olive— in fact, blackish. 

 The broad silvery white stripe remains, but the dorsal, wedge- 

 shaped, bent, jet-black marks are larger and more distinct. In 

 other respects the larvae resemble those in the third stage. 

 26th. — A small one, in its second skin, died. A few laggards 

 are still in the second stage, and some in the third. 28th. — 

 Two, in the third stage, died. The diseases are the same which 

 carry off so many of the wild full-grown larvae when confined, 

 viz. diarrhoea and constipation. 30th. — Another small one 

 died. 



Sept. 1st. — Another died (third stage), making the fifth death. 

 Removed the rest into an airy breeding-cage with moss at the 

 bottom. They now eat little, and appear about to hybernate. 

 The larger ones, which are about half the total number, have 

 now reddish heads, and are very like what we get in spring ; 

 they are smaller, dusky olive-green, but, although they have the 

 two black wedge-shaped dorsal marks on each segment, they 

 still retain the mid-side stripe of white. This is still the fourth 

 stage. 30th.— Two imagines of Orthosia lota emerged. The 

 larvae were found when feeding A. ashworthii larvae, in spring, on 

 sallow-catkins. The two caterpillars of O. lota were then almost 

 microscopic, and were feeding inside the catkins. 



Oct. 9th. — Only nine larvae of A. ashicorthii seen in the cage. 

 17th. — Five larvae only seen, but they appear to be doing fairly 

 well ; they prefer dandelion. 31st. — Fine and warm, but only 

 four poor-looking larvae appeared at night ; none by day. 



Nov. 4th. — Saw eight in the cage to-night. 11th. — All the 

 larvae seem to have retired for the winter. 28th. — Two liealthy- 

 looking ashworthii larvae in the cage, at night only, on dandelion 

 and grass-leaves. I have often seen the caterpillars eat grass, 

 but sparingly. 



Dec. 1st. — Totally disappeared. 11th. — If living they are 

 hidden under the moss in their cage. We have had no frosts 

 yet, although it has often been very cold. 



