1899] MEDITERRANEAN MILL MOTH. 81 



after the other, and which sometimes are enlarged into a kind of small 

 discs. These black dots form by their aggregation a black line edging 

 the well- developed fringe with which the wings are ornamented. The 

 upper surface of the wings is marked with numerous irregular black 

 spots, which form two transverse lines, more or less interrupted and 

 indented, and on the disc is an irregularly-shaped crescent-like 

 markmg. The lower wings are of a dirty white ; the veins are grey, 

 with a band of a deeper tint bordering the fringe. 



"The egg is white, ovoid, visible to the naked eye; its smallest 

 dimensions are 0-30 mm. in length to 0-20 mm. in width ; the very 

 fine shell bears on its surface small elevations, arranged in stars, 

 which are very characteristic. The egg of Ephestia does not pass 

 the numbers of bolting silks {' soies a blater') higher than No. 70." — 

 (J. D., loc. cit.). 



The caterpillar (larva) may be shortly described as about half an 

 inch in length, of rosy white or sometimes of a rose colour. The head 

 reddish or yellowish brown, and a dark patch on the top of the segment 

 next the head, and also a dark-coloured plate on the caudal segment. 



In 1888 I had opportunity of first examining larval specimens, and 

 found the details of samples sent me from an English mill, of which 

 the moths accompanying proved on comparison with type specimens 

 to be the true Ephestia kuhniella, Zeller, as follows. 



The caterpillars varied in size from two-eighths up to five-eighths 

 of an inch in length, and correspondingly in colour, the younger ones 

 being of a flesh or pale red colour, and the largest almost white ; the 

 shape cylindrical, somewhat slender, with sixteen feet — that is, three 

 pairs of claw-feet, four pairs of sucker-feet, and also a well-developed 

 pair of sucker-feet beneath the tail segment, by the help of which, 

 although the largest of the larvae were sluggish, the younger travelled 

 nimbly, and could move backwards or forwards at pleasure, or were 

 able to attach themselves at once to a foreign substance, as the finger 

 or hand. 



The head yellowish brown, darker in front, and with dark brown 

 jaws ; a transverse patch on the segment next the head, this rather 

 pale yellowish brown in my specimens (but the depth of tint apparently 

 variable) with a faint pale central line dividing it from back to front, 

 and (in the oldest specimen) a small brown spot on each side of the 

 segment below the patch. 



Along the back, excepting towards the head and tail, were four 

 small dark dots on each segment above, two on each side the centre. 

 On the segments near the head, the spots were arranged more trans- 

 versely ; and at the tail extremity, immediately above the sucker-feet, 

 was a brownish oval or somewhat triangular patch (the anal plate). 

 On the preceding segment the transverse row of spots varied somewhat 



