168 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



margin, and forming an abrupt and distinct boundary to the 

 dorsal area ; interraediale between the medio-dorsal and 

 lateral stripes are three minute pale circular spots, inconspi- 

 cuous until magnified; the green ventral area is without 

 markings ; it includes the spiracles, which are oval and pale 

 testaceous, surrounded by a delicate black circumscription. 

 I am indebted to Mr. Bryant for a liberal supply of this 

 interesting larva, which 1 had not seen when I published the 

 species in my 'British Moths.' He informs me that the eggs 

 were laid on the 5th of April, the larvae hatched about the 

 24th, and were full fed and went to pupse on the 1st of June. 

 — Edward Newman. 



Life-history of lodis vernaria. — The eggs are laid in July 

 in a very singular manner, as first pointed out to me by 

 Mr, Wright. The female selects a twig of the food-plant, 

 Clematis vitalba (wild clematis or traveller's-joy), and stand- 

 ing lengthwise on a twig deposits an egg on the rind, never 

 on a leaf: the egg is somewhat longer than broad, and very 

 flat; after a short interval a second egg is laid on the top of 

 this, and again, after another interval, a third, a fourth, and 

 so on, until a little pile of twelve or fourteen stand out at 

 right angles with the twig, like a lateral twig or thorn. Under 

 a lens of moderate power, this pile of eggs exactly resembles 

 a stack of oblong cheeses, symmetrically arranged one on the 

 other. In some instances, when the parent has been restless, 

 or disturbed in mind, or dissatisfied with the spot she had 

 first selected, she has abandoned her egg-tower when only 

 three-stories high; but this is not usual; she generally 

 continues her labours until a dozen eggs are thus carefully 

 adjusted in a pile: the lowest number yet observed in this 

 columnal structure is three, and the highest fourteen ; the 

 eggs are not angular as in a column of basalt, but the 

 arrangement is precisely similar. In one instance that came 

 under the notice of Mr. Jennings the pile of eggs was 

 branched, thus assuming the form of the letter V. The eggs 

 usually hatch during the first week in July, and the young larvse 

 disappear, after feeding a little, with the leaves of the food- 

 plant, and reappear after hybernation, as soon as the leaves 

 of another season are ready for them in the spring. The most 

 likely spots for finding these larva) are on the shoots trailing on 

 the ground, or at a very slight elevation. When the larvae leave 

 the egg they are very interesting little objects : they stand on 



