BOMBYCIDM. 23 



On the wing in August and September. 



Larva two to two and one-half inches long, cylindrical, last 

 two segments tapering a little. Head broad, with the lobes 

 prominent and very distinctly marked, light brown, face 

 yellow, lobes outlined with black; body covered with short 

 soft hairs which form a raised line down the middle of 

 the back ; bright yellow-brown, rather paler yellow on 

 the back, and having a very soft silky appearance ; 

 divisions of the segments black, and each segment crossed 

 by one or more black wrinkles ; subdorsal region with a row 

 of small round or ovate black spots, two on each segment ; 

 and on the second, third, and fourth segments is an 

 additional, larger, round spot lower down on each side ; 

 spiracular stripe and under surface bluish-grey ; legs whitish ; 

 prolegs yellowish ; hairs above the spiracles yellow, grey 

 below. When young readily distinguished by a yellow 

 collar. 



A variety of the larva of which the hairs are all whitish is 

 figured by Mr. W. Buckler. 



September or October to June, hybernating when very 

 small. On grasses of many kinds, but principally those which 

 grow in sandy places. Also upon Anthyllis vulneraria, 

 Medicago falcata and M. sativa, Ononis spinosa, Lotus 

 corniculatus, Trifolium medium, and T. pratense, Melilohcs, 

 Cytisus, Ulex, sallow, bramble, and plantain, and in confine- 

 ment said also to eat oak, beech, ash, poplar, willow, 

 hawthorn, blackthorn, and raspberry. The larva hides close 

 to the ground in the daytime, but about sunset crawls quite 

 suddenly up to feed, and there seems little doubt that grass 

 is most frequently chosen. Never gregarious. 



Pupa short and broad, tapering off very rapidly behind ; 

 antenna-cases extremely prominent ; colour light brown. In 

 a small egg-shaped cocoon of rather brittle, almost papery 

 texture, but very strong, most singularly covered with minute 

 projecting clinging points ; the fine larval hairs are disposed 



