THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 51 



melts, through delicate gradations of olive-green, into the 

 pale glaucous-green of the back, but its lower margin is 

 bounded by a very distinct and rather broad pure while 

 stripe ; belly, legs and claspers glaucous-green ; spiracles 

 pure white, surrounded by a black ring ; on the 3rd and 4th 

 segments, in an exquisite drawing by Mr. Buckler, kindly 

 lent me by Mr. Hellins, are represented black dots exactly 

 in the place occupied by spiracles in the spiracle-bearing 

 segments. In reference to these abnormal markings, which 

 may be called false spiracles, Mr. Buckler observes : — " I 

 have seen similar markings on the larvae of other Noctuae, 

 but very rarely ; and I may here mention that in some of 

 the more dingy-coloured Noctuae, I have had varieties in 

 which the spiracles have not been visible by any distinction 

 of colour or markings, while in other individuals of ihe same 

 species they will be most distinct ; these aberrant markings 

 on the 3rd and 4lh segments are remarkably large on some 

 of tlie Cuculliae when they do occur." Since Mr. Buckler 

 wrote this he has had the kindness to send me a larva of 

 Anchoscelis pistacina in whicli this peculiarity is very appa- 

 rent. The larva descends to the ground about the middle of 

 May, and undergoes pupation beneath the surface of the 

 earth. The moth begins to emerge about the middle of 

 Jul}', and continues to do so through the months of Au- 

 gust and September. 1 am indebted to the Rev. J. Hellins 

 and Mr. Buckler for my knowledge of this larva and the 

 particulars of its history. It is generally distributed over 

 the continent of Europe, but in Great Britain is considered 

 a northern insect, being scarcely ever met with in the 

 southern counties, — Echvard Newman. 



Description of (he Larva of Poliajlavocincia. — The eggs 

 are laid in October and hatch in the spring ; the larvae feed 

 on Stellaria media (chickweed), Senecio vulgaris (groundsel), 

 various species of mint and many other herbs ; they are full- 

 fed in June and July. The full-fed larva rests in almost a 

 straight position, with the head slightly tucked in, but falls 

 of}' its food-plant and forms a rather loose ring when annoyed. 

 Head manifestly narrower than the body, partially retractile 

 within the 2nd segment: body uniformly cylindrical, smooth, 

 velvety. Colour of the head pale opaque green, with black 

 ocelli: body pale apple-green, inclining to glaucous, irro- 



