THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 83 



with whitish green ; lateral skinfold white-green ; on the 

 ventral surface the white-green markings are ranged into 

 indistinct longitudinal series : spiracles brown, the anterior 

 pair very prominent and conspicuous; legs very pale green 

 and pellucid, almost colourless ; ventral claspers briglit apple- 

 green ; anal claspers concoloions with the body ; all the 

 bristles brown. Feeds on many herbaceous plants ; the spe- 

 cimen described, for which I am indebted to Mr. Doubleday, 

 was found on the cultivated strawberry, and ceased feeding 

 on the 4th of May. — Edward Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Tliera oheliscnta. — Rests in a 

 nearly straight position, lying along one of the needles of 

 Finns sylvestris (Scotch fir), on which it feeds, its claspers 

 being always attached, but its legs free : it will not roll the 

 anterior part of the body into a volute, nor will it fall from 

 its food-plant on being annoyed. Head exserted, of slightly 

 less circumference than the body, and having scarcely any 

 indication of a notch on the crown, pi'one, the month being 

 tucked under and brought into close proximity with the legs : 

 body of uniform thickiiess throughout, and having a lateral 

 skinfold, otherwise uniformly cylindrical and quite smooth ; 

 the 13th segment terminates beneath the anal flap, in two 

 short points directed backwards. Colour of the head pale 

 opaque green ; of the body dull green, with three white dorsal 

 stripes, each of which is somewhat double, that is, it has a 

 narrow darker median stripe vaguel}' defined : of the three 

 double stripes the middle one is less distinct and less con- 

 spicuous than the others : on the lower or ventral margin of 

 the lateral skinfold is a narrow V^iit clearly defined white 

 stripe, and there is also a narrow but clearly defined niedio- 

 ventral white stripe: the legs and moutli are pink; the 

 claspers green. 1 am indebted to Mr. Thomas IJuckett for 

 a liberal supply of these larvae, which were lull-fed on the 

 6th of May, 1863, but the publication of the description has 

 been deferred from my uncertainty about the name : on the 

 5th of May, 1866, I received two other full-fed larva3 from 

 my kind friend Mr. Doubleday, accompanied by the note 

 which immediately follows. 1 ought to add that Guenee 

 (x. 373) considers the obeliscata of Hubner (II. 29G ; Dn- 

 ponchel, v. 515, pi. 206, fig. 8) to be a mere variety of Thera 

 variata ; I entirely agree with Mr. Doubleday in dissenting 

 from this opinion. — Edward Newman. 



