212 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



territories, aud thus eventually unite their several mines into 

 one large blotch, in which the whole of the little creatures 

 live harmoniously together. On recovering from the effects 

 of its moult the larva recommences feeding; and by and bye 

 a second and third moulting take place : after the third 

 moult the various markings on the head and bod}^ assume a 

 much darker tint, the thoracic plates becoming black, and 

 the ventral legs are observed to have the front or inner 

 margin of their bases decorated by a semicircular black 

 band. Arriving at its adult state, the larva throws off its 

 tegument for the fourth time, when its mouth becomes red- 

 dish brown ; its head pale brown, darker at the sides ; and 

 its body dirty white and without any markings, the latter 

 being entirely cast off" at the last moult : the full-fed larva is 

 between nine and ten lines in length. After remaining in its 

 mine for a time, the larva makes a fissure in the leaf, and, 

 emerging thence, falls to the ground, and buries itself in the 

 earth to undergo its metamorphosis, never remaining in the 

 leaf to form its cocoon. The perfect insects seem to prefer 

 laying their eggs on plants growing by road-sides and under 

 hedges : I have no recollection of having met with the larva 

 on the leaves of brambles growing in the interior of woods. 

 By the 5lh of July the larvae are abundant and in all stages 

 of growth, and some have already entered upon their pupal 

 state, producing the perfect insects on or about the 26th of 

 the month ; they continue coming out during the month of 

 August: at the commencement of that month the larvae put 

 in an appearance for the second time, gradually increasing in 

 numbers ; and these larvae produce perfect insects all through 

 the month of September : fresh larva3 are constantly being- 

 born up to near the end of October ; these latter, when full- 

 fed, enter the ground, and remain unchanged during the 

 winter, and from these are developed the perfect insects 

 which appear in the spring of the year (about the 2nd week 

 in May). 1 have never yet bred any ichneumons from this 

 larva. If this species be ever so infested, the parasites must 

 enter the ground to undergo their pupation, as I have made 

 many long and close searches of the blotched bramble-leaves, 

 endeavouring in vain to discover the cocoon of a parasite. — 

 CJiarles Healy. 



