The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 245 



THE GENUS MACROGLOSSA, OCHSENHEIMER. 



The adult larvae of five species are known, and 

 to these I can now add a sixth. In Gray the 

 genus contains twenty-six species. 36 I cannot find 

 any figures or descriptions of the young stages of 

 these caterpillars, and I have myself only observed 

 the complete ontogeny of one species. 



By placing a captured female M. Stellatarum in 

 a capacious breeding-cage, in the open air, I was 

 enabled to procure eggs. The moth hovered 

 about over the flowers, and laid its small, grass- 

 green, spherical eggs (partly when on the wing), 

 singly, on the leaves, buds, and stalks of Galium 

 Mollugo. Altogether 130 were obtained in three 

 days. 37 



following species may be here mentioned : A. Gannascus, 

 Stall, figured by Burmeister (foe. tit. PI. XIII., Fig. 5), is 

 green, with a yellow subdorsal line, and seven oblique white 

 lateral stripes, edged with red. A. Liturata, Butl. (loc. cit. 

 PL XCL, Fig. 2), is yellowish-green above, passing into 

 bluish-green below. The subdorsal is present on the three 

 front segments, and is followed by a row of white, elongated 

 patches, one on each segment, these being the upper portions 

 of a row of lateral oblique stripes. The thickened upper 

 extremities of the latter are edged with red, and their arrange- 

 ment is very suggestive of their having arisen from the breaking 

 up of a subdorsal line. R.M.] 



36 [Butler catalogues 43 species of this genus. R.M.] 

 3T The deposition of eggs was accomplished by the insect 

 laying hold of the point of a twig with its legs during flight, 

 and curving its abdomen upwards against a leaf, the wings 

 being kept vibrating. The egg is instantaneously fastened to 

 the leaf. This operation is repeated from twice to four times 



