1899] PUSS MOTH. 117 



brown above, and green below ; the black tubercles behind the head 

 were covered with sharp spiny processes, and (together with these) 

 were of a somewhat spherical shape, widening below into the first 

 segment behind the head, of which they formed part. The caudal 

 horns were spiny, of a somewhat yellowish and varied brown at the 

 lower part, and nearer the extremity with two dark brown bands 

 separated by a pale one ; the tips were of a purplish pink. 



The caterpillar fed heartily on fresh Poplar leaves, and continued 

 growing ; on the 30th a streak of darkish colour was noticeable running 

 down the side from the lowest angle of the dark colour on the back, 

 and by July 2nd the tubercles behind the head appeared of a more 

 triangular shape, beset with upright prickles, but altogether lessening 

 rather than increasing in size compared with that of the grub. 



In the afternoon of the same day about 1.45 p.m. I noticed that 

 the caterpillar had moulted, the tails showing distinctly in the cast-off 

 skin. The processes behind the head now appeared as little more 

 than prolongations of the raised band between them, with some rather 

 blunt prickles at the tip and to some degree around them. The 

 moulted off skin of the eyes and mouth were lying apart from the rest. 



July 10th. About two days previously to this date the caterpillar 

 began to spin a slight amount of web on the leaf surface, and exuded 

 a large drop of transparent green fluid ; the larva remained stationary 

 at one spot, and apparently was firmly fixed by the sucker-feet in its 

 web, for I was unable to detach it. On the morning of the 10th 

 about 8 a.m. I found the caterpillar had again moulted its skin, 

 including the candal tails and the prickly tubercles from behind the 

 head.''- The colour had become lighter above, and the central raised 

 point above the third segment was now partly of a dull pinkish colour. 

 The localities where the spiny tubercles (now moulted off) had been 

 were smooth, and there was now a pinkish line of about the length of 

 half the space between them just above the head. About 10 a.m. the 

 larva had turned round, and appeared to be devouring the shed skin. 

 The tails or caudal appendages were now, excepting towards the base, 

 white, with rings, prickles, or slight knobs of black. 



July 11th. The caterpillar was feeding heartily again, and growing 

 fast, and had now a pink line all round the face, with pale yellowish 

 or whitish border outside (at the sides), and treacle-coloured or pitchy 

 spot on each side above the face, taking the place of the spiny tubercles. 



July 14th. The caterpillar was feeding greedily, and was now 

 grown to what was presumably its fall size, being somewhat more 



* In the account by Mr. Hellins, in ' Buckler's Larvas of British Butterflies and 

 Moths,' referred to, p. 115, of his observations of the changes of the larva of the 

 Puss Moth, he mentions that he has not details of the fourth moult, but that at 

 the fifth " the horns are gone and their places marked by dark velvet spots ! " 



