44 THE EN'TOMOLOGIST. 
The full-fed larva is, when extended, about half an inch to 
five-eighths of an inch long, moderately stout, somewhat thickest 
in the middle segments, attenuating slightly, both anteriorly and 
posteriorly. The head is small and dark blackish brown. The 
general ground colour is a translucent brown-pink. A narrow 
but well-defined yellow dorsal line, and on each of the segments, 
which are strongly developed, are six small fleshy tubercles, 
arranged in rows, three on either side of the dorsal line, and 
from which spring tufts of short brown hair. The spiracle line 
is not very apparent. The abdomen and claspers are nude, and of a 
translucent brown-pink shade. 
When the larva is about to spin its cocoon it selects a grass- 
culm or other stem, and, having spun a little pad of silk on it, 
commences to nibble off portions of adjacent stems. With these 
it builds out two side pieces like an open boat, the grass-culm 
forming, as it were, the keel. It is most curious to watch this 
construction going on. The larva stretches itself out as far as 
it can reach without absolutely leaving hold of its work, in order 
to gather the building material, which it brings in, and adds, so to 
speak, another plank to its house. One larva, which had com- 
menced its cocoon on the side of the bottle and not within reach 
of this necessary building material, spun the silk pad and very 
small wing or side pieces; then it appeared quite at loss how to 
proceed. I observed it thus for two entire days, but it could make 
no further progress with its work. I then placed some dried grass 
roots within its reach, and at once the building process went on, 
and the cocoon was completed. As soon as these side pieces are 
- sufficiently developed, an operation which takes some thirty-six 
hours’ labour, the larva commences at the bottom end to draw | 
over the two edges so that they just meet, and spins them thus 
firmly together. Working in this manner steadily upward, until 
nearly closed in, the larva then enters the cocoon, draws over the 
top or head piece, and then lines the interior with silk. When 
completed itis both neat and compact, something like the cocoon 
of Nola albulalis, except that it is obtusely blunt at the top 
or head, whilst N. albulalis has it pointed at each end, like the 
Zygenile. 
By keeping my pup in a warm room, the imagines com- 
menced to appear on December 10th, and came out at intervals 
until December 28th, in alltwenty perfect specimens. My treatment 
of them had been most successful, not losing a single one by death 
