210 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



top of the ventral surface of the 2nd segment is found to 

 be crossed by a narrow pitchy brown-coloured band, and 

 immediately below this is a pale brown X-shaped plate, 

 bounded on either side by a little white wart-like pro- 

 tuberance ; the 3rd and 4th segments each possess a small 

 central brown dot ; the thoracic legs faintly tinged with pale 

 brown, and encircled with rings of a darker tint ; the ventral 

 and anal legs are while ; the latter are nearly surrounded by 

 a pale brown band. As the larva increases in size and 

 extends its mine, it makes other little openings along the 

 edge of its mine, in order to eject its frass : the part of the 

 leaf at which it commenced its early life always remains of a 

 much darker colour than any other part of the mine, and is 

 invariably used as a retiring or sleeping-chamber, where it 

 may occasionally be seen lying in a state of repose, just after 

 the same fashion as the larva of Tischeria complanella of 

 Zeller is observed to do, only this larva does not carpet its 

 retiring-chamber with silk like the Microlepidopterous larva 

 of the latter species. When startled or irritated this cater- 

 pillar lashes itself about from side to side, assuming for 

 a time a curved posture: as soon as the annoyance is discon- 

 tinued, or shortly afterwards, it resumes its natural position. 

 Some four moults take place before the larva is sufficiently 

 matured to enter upon its pupal form ; at the last of these 

 the body and legs become white ; the head is very pale 

 brown, and the jaws darker: it is then about nine lines in 

 length. No discharge of fluid from its lateral pores has been 

 observed. By the 13th of July some of the more advanced 

 larvae begiu the construction of their cocoons, from which 

 they are particularly careful to exclude all foreign sub- 

 stances : 1 believe these are always constructed inside the 

 mmed leaf. The first imagos are developed at the end of 

 August or the beginning of September. Early in this latter 

 month, and also during October, the second brood of larvae 

 are noticeable mining the leaves of birches, producing a few 

 perfect insects in the months of September and October, the 

 remainder lying over till the next season before they pupize, 

 and the little lenthredqs coming out in the month of June. 

 I have not yet bred any parasites from this species. The 

 larvaj may be collected al Bishop's Wood, Hampstead, on 

 the birches growing alongside the main path through the 



