298 THE 1 NTOMOLOGIST. 



food, the wycli elm (Ulmus montana). There is only one 

 brood of this caterpillar dining the season, and by the end of 

 June they are all under ground and safe within their egg- 

 sha])ed cocoons ; the cocoons themselves are fabricated out 

 of dark brown silk ; the cocoon-tenants remain entombed for 

 something like ten and a half months before the perfect 

 insects liberate themselves : the larva whilst feeding lies on 

 its back, displaying to our view the decorative markings on 

 its ventral surface ; it has a white body, and is in possession 

 of twenty-two legs, the first six of which are annulated with 

 dark brown ; the claws are also dark brown ; the head of the 

 little creature is tinged with pale brown of a darker tone at 

 the sides, mouth reddish brown, eye-spols brown, and its 

 dorsal vessel is dull green ; the under side of the 2nd seg- 

 ment has a dark oblong-shaped plate down its centre, and on 

 either side of this there are two brownish dots ; on running- 

 our eyes down the remaining segments we observe that, ex- 

 cepting the anal segment, all are furnished with a small black- 

 coluured dot; the 5lh segment has no organs of progression. 

 At the first moult the decorative n)aikings of the larva are all 

 thrown off, and if at that time we closely inspect the under 

 surface of the body we perceive a slight remnant of pig- 

 mentary deposit on the segments, situate at the exact spots 

 where the black ventral dots were located previous to the 

 moult : these dusky marks, however, soon fade away, and 

 leave the segments entirely spotless; the head and eyes 

 slowly resume their original colour, and the six thoracic legs 

 regain their annulations : when fall-led it ceases to feed, and 

 lies in its mine in a slate of repose, and throws off its skin 

 for the last time ; by and bye a faint yellowish tinge spreads 

 itself over the body ol the larva. At the appointed lime the 

 larva liberates itself from its mine by biting a hole in it. At 

 the last moult the brown- coloured bands on its six anterior 

 organs of locomotion are thrown off entirely. Escaj)ing from 

 its mined abode, the little creature drops to the ground, and 

 now, every time it is touched, it instantly partially curls its 

 body up, remaining in that position only for a moment or 

 two, in fact tbllowing a similar course to that pursued by 

 another little Tenlhredo larva that inhabits the leaves of tlie 

 oak, a species of larva, by the way, respecting whose eco- 

 nomy I have collected some interesting details, but whose 



