1899] PUSS MOTH. 115 



the tint of the leaves on which it feeds. The colours along the back 

 are of a kind of purplish brown, streaked lengthwise with white lines, 

 above the white baud (shown in the figure), which it will be seen rises 

 in a point towards the fore part of the body, and runs down in a 

 well-defined angle above the second pair of sucker-feet, sometimes, as 

 shown at p. 114, for only a little way down, and sometimes reaching 

 a considerable way down the side of the caterpillar, with a variety in 

 the accompanying markings, as shown at p. 118. When the head 

 is withdrawn into the following segment it appears as if placed in a 

 squarish pink border, with two black or dark spots, somewhat at the 

 sides. 



The life-history is that the eggs are laid singly, or almost singly, 

 near together on the leaves of the trees selected. The earliest date of 

 egg-laying that I find recorded is May 25th, and the eggs* are described 

 as "button-shaped, convex above, nearly flat underneath, fairly round, 

 with a small pit at the apex " ; the size from above half a line to 

 nearly a line at the widest diameter, and the height slightly more 

 than half a line ; the shell hard, glossy and pitted all over ; the colour 

 rich warm brown above, more smoky beneath, the central pit blackish, 

 but ringed with yellowish white. A pale variety of the egg is noted 

 as being chiefly of a buff tint. 



The larvffi hatch, as recorded under observation, in a period of 

 from ten to fourteen days, and in their early conditions are so different 

 in appearance from their later development that they are scarcely 

 recognizable as of the same kind. In the past season I was able to 

 make some personal observations on these points, which I give at 

 pp. 116-118, but — continuing the life-history generally — the caterpillars 

 feed until in July, or even in August, they are full grown, and then 

 go down the trees to form their cocoons on the bark not far from the 

 ground. The method commonly followed appears to be to gnaw a 

 piece out of the bark, and in the hollow thus made to spin a tough 

 cocoon, in which the larva turns to the chrysalis state and so remains 

 during the winter, the moths for the most part appearing in the 

 following May. 



The caterpillars, however, do not appear to be very particular as 

 to the material of which they make use to strengthen their gluey 

 cocoons ; a specimen under my own observation used a small piece of 

 carpet, and thus with the floor of its box made a very solid shelter ; 

 another (received last summer) worked up some white cotton wool in 

 which it had been sent, for the purpose ; and an instance is given by 

 Mr. Hellins (see Mr. Buckler's 'Larvas,' quoted previously) of his taking 



* For description of eggs, and detailed observations of larval and pupal 

 conditions, see 'Larvae of British Butterflies and Moths,' by the late Wm. Buckler. 

 Ray Soc, vol. ii. pp. 143-150. 



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