THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 281 



pear and strawberry in the gardens on the Continent, The 

 young larvae emerge in about twelve days, and feed on the 

 leaves of all these plants, and also occasionally orj the tuber 

 of the potato, at first eating little and growing very slowly, 

 but afterwards devouring the leaves most voraciously, and in- 

 creasing in size with almost incredible rapidity : by the end 

 of July the larva has attained its greatest dimensions, and is 

 then full five inches in length, and thick in proportion. The 

 head is prone, naiTower than the 2nd segment, into which it 

 can be partially withdrawn, at the pleasure of the animal, in 

 the intervals of eating, which are few and far between ; it is 

 widest at the mouth, and is thence gradually narrowed to the 

 crown, which is rounded, and has a very slight median notch ; 

 the 3rd and 4th segments are very much wider than the 2nd, 

 are folded transversely, and have a conspicuous skinfold on 

 each side; the following segments, from the 5th to the 11th, 

 both inclusive, are nearly uniform and nearly cylindrical, the 

 dorsal surface transversely divided into narrow sections, and 

 the sides folded both transversely and longitudinally ; the 

 12th segment bears a medio-dorsal and very scabvous horn, 

 which is bent downioards almost close to its junction with 

 the body, and uptvards at the extreme tip. Colour of the 

 head dull orange-yellow, with a conspicuous brown stripe on 

 the outer side of each cheek, extending from the crown to 

 the mouth ; body dull orange or lemon-yellow, inclining to 

 green on the sides and beneath ; the 2nd, 3rd and 4th seg- 

 ments are immaculate and velvety ; the following segments 

 are variegated dorsally with numerous oval, almost circular, 

 dark purple spots, each of which emits a minute bristle from 

 the middle ; these segments are also decorated with V-shaped 

 markings of a dull violet- colour, and often bordered below 

 with a whitish margin : each of these V-shaped markings 

 consists of two oblique stripes, commencing, one on each 

 side, a little in advance of the black, white-margined spiracle, 

 passes upwards and backwards through two segments, and 

 meets the corresponding stripe on the medio-dorsal line of 

 the back ; the last of these V-shaped markings terminates in 

 the dorsal horn which forms its apex ; the horn itself is yel- 

 low above and blackish beneath, and all the scabrous points 

 are tipped with black. A very beautiful variety of this larva 

 occurred plentifully during the July and August of 1858 ; 



