THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 55 



and somewhat clouded. As it grows older the larva carefully 

 ejects every particle of "frass" from the interior of its mine. 

 A leaf tenanted by a number of these larva3 (at times one 

 hundred or more may be counted in a single leaf of Heraclcum 

 Sphondylium), when viewed from its upper surface, has a 

 peculiar speckled appearance, but when the leaf is held up to 

 the light the larvae are plainly visible in their little mines, 

 each enjoying itself to the top of its bent, either laying at rest 

 or feeding, others, as though imitating the habit of Bedellia 

 soranulentella larva, laying half in and half out of their mines. 

 Should the leaf become distasteful to the larva from any 

 cause, it quits its mine and bores into the interior of another 

 and fresher leaf. After ejecting a larva from its mine, 1 have 

 been amused in watching its futile attempts to burrow into 

 the sheet of paper on which I had placed it, first attempting 

 to bite the paper and then commence pushing and thrusting 

 its head firmly on to the sheet ; and after repeated failures 

 seemed to be completely bothered : some would raise them- 

 selves almost upright, and twist and turn about in apparently 

 the greatest astonishment at the novelty of their position, 

 which little episode in their lives was doubtless soon forgotten 

 by them on being permitted to enjoy themselves in feeding 

 on their favourite ibod. Occasionally 1 have noticed them 

 come out of their mines and rest, as though airing themselves 

 on the under side of the leaf, and when their inclination led 

 that way they re-entered their mines and re-commenced 

 feeding. At times we may meet with a leaf peopled both 

 by internal and external feeding larvae, and to witness such 

 a phase in their larval life is in my opinion a most interesting 

 sight, as it shows how beautifully their masticatory organs 

 are formed to suit the different periods of the larva's life, 

 neither larva tearing the skin of the leaf, but leaving it intact, 

 after robbing it of its internal tissues and outer fleshy covering. 

 I have not been able to collect any evidence as to 

 whether it moults whilst a mining larva: the time having 

 arrived for it to change its mode of living, it bites a little hole 

 in the inferior surface-skin of the leaf, quits its mine and 

 prepares to enter upon the next phase of its existence ; 

 and in order to effectually do so it throws off" its skin, 

 and invariably at the anal extreujity. This moult 

 generally takes place a few hours after the larva has finally 



