ADSCITA GERYON. 408 



the anterior and posterior trapezoidals are close together on each 

 side, those of the one side are widely separated from those on the 

 other. There are also a supraspiracular and a subspiracular tubercle 

 on each segment, each with a simple spine. The dorsal hairs 

 of the prothoracic and mesothoracic segments are without globules, 

 but on the metathorax the hair in line with the supraspiracular 

 tubercles has a globule. There is another simple hair beneath this, 

 and another lower down in line with the spiracles. The prolegs 

 have 8-4 hooks (usual number 4). The anal plate is very finely 

 spinous. The hairs of the anterior trapezoidals bear 10 rings of 

 very fine spines, those of the posterior, 10 or 11, whilst those of the 

 supraspiracular tubercles have 18 similar rings of minute spines. 

 Hellins says that the newly-hatched larva is just over 1 mm. in length, 

 very stumpy, yellow, with small black head. The trapezoidals are 

 combined in two large transverse tubercles, each tubercular dot bear- 

 ing one bristle. When five weeks old the larvae are about 3 mm. long, 

 their tubercles set with fascicles of short bristles, the larger individuals 

 having an edging of dull purplish to the dirty whitish dorsal area, 

 whilst the skin around the tubercles is set with tiny black points. 

 At three months old they are 5 mm. long, very plump, the back quite 

 white ; the dorsal tubercles slightly brownish, a distinct double dorsal 

 line of a dull claret colour, the scalloped line which borders the back 

 deep purplish, the large lateral warts, dull claret-coloured, bordered 

 below with a whitish line, then comes a deeper claret line, then 

 another whitish line, and the two lower rows of tubercles are brownish- 

 pink. After hybernation the larvro grow at very different rates, some 

 becoming full-grown much more rapidly than others. The full- 

 yrown larva is about 12 mm. long, somewhat fusiform, being stoutest 

 at the abdominal segments 5 and 6. The head glossy-black, small, 

 retractile into the prothorax, which is smaller than the remaining 

 segments. The segmental incisions well marked. On the meso- 

 thorax, metathorax, and the first eight abdominal segments are eight 

 rows of large raised tubercles, those on the back being elongated 

 transversely ; all are set with fine short bristles ; the skin between is 

 set with tiny hard stellate dots with five or six points, but these do 

 not extend below the spiracles. The prothorax has a blackish dorsal 

 plate with a yellowish edge in front. The dorsal tubercles are 

 either dingy white or pale yellow, with a double dorsal line of 

 purplish-brown enclosing a whitish thread. The back is bordered 

 with a claret-coloured wavy line, below which comes a wide reddish- 

 brown stripe, bearing the row of large lateral tubercles of the same 

 colour, but narrowly outlined with pale flesh-colour. This reddish- 

 brown stripe extends to just below the spiracles, which are of the 

 same colour, round, and finely ringed with black ; next comes a stripe 

 of pale flesh colour, bearing a row of tubercles of the same colour, 

 but outlined with brown, then a stripe of brown, then the lowest row 

 of tubercles of paler brown. The ventral area is of a dingy flesh- 

 colour, the true legs with blackish rings, the prolegs yellowish ; the 

 bristles dirty whitish with blackish tips. 



COCOON. The cocoon is generally spun low down among moss at the 

 roots of the food-plant, sometimes attached to the stem of the latter. It 

 is a tough, webby structure (not stout or papery in texture), somewhat 

 fusiform in shape, about 12 mm. long, and 5 mm. at its widest part. 



