LIFE-HISTOEIES OF SAWFLIES. -M 



below the surface of the ground, only making their appearance 

 when the shades of evening have commenced. 



The larva I had found (fig. 1) appeared to be not full grown. 

 The head was shining, and of an orange tint, shaped like a 

 Leyden cheese, and covered with extremely fine hairs ; on either 

 side was a deep black circular spot, having the eye in the centre, 

 and on the posterior part of the vertex — one might almost say on 

 the neck — a small black triangle. From this triangle proceeded two 

 somewhat curved black lines on the first segment, ending behind an 

 almost round black spot on either side. The upper surface of the 

 bodv, as far as the penultimate segment, appeared to be of a purple 

 colour, and the under surface sordid yellow ; in reality, however, 

 the colour of both sides was the same, but the upper surface was 

 covered with purplish brown markings consisting of curved lines, 

 originating from two fine lines running next to each other along 

 the back. The appearance of these curved lines is easier to figure 

 than to describe (see fig. 2). The segments were further divided 

 into many folds (see fig. 3), the greater number of which were 

 covered with rows of little white spines. At the sides, where the 

 skin was pale in colour, were dark oblique transverse lines above 

 all the legs, with the exception of the first pair. The larva had 

 six horny articulated legs, seven pairs of abdominal legs in the 

 middle of the body, and two anal legs. The last two segments 

 were without any markings. 



Some days afterwards, I found one of my larvfe in the act of 

 casting its skin. This proceeding was conducted in a singular 

 manner, which, however, I had once before observed in a sawfly 

 larva, namely, by placing itself round a stalk, and holding on by 

 four or six of the middle legs ; and I afterwards observed that 

 the shed skin of the larva remained attached to the stalk in that 

 position. The newly-moulted larva was shining greenish yellow, 

 of a more yellow tint than before, and with only faint traces of the 

 markings. A couple of days later the larva assumed the appear- 

 ance of fig. 4 (see also fig. 5). It was then twenty-three milli- 

 metres long ; the markings had remained the same as on the 

 preceding skin, with the exception that on the penultimate 

 segment was a three-pointed spot, which, however, might have 

 been merely the appearance through the skin of matter in the 

 intestinal canal about to be ejected ; the ground colour was, how- 

 ever, paler. Shortly after this the larva moulted for the last 



