328 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



over the centre), and one on each segment below the true 

 sph-acle, which (the latter) is conspicuous, black and shining. 

 The tenth and eleventh segments have the anterior half of the ven- 

 tral surface covered with a white rough granular waxy substance. 

 If disturbed while crawling, the larva frequently wriggles back- 

 wards very rapidly, similar to the habit of wriggling possessed 

 by many micro larvae. 



Just before pupation the larva often crawls restlessly about, 

 but in some instances it does not leave its place of feeding, and 

 spins a strong coarse network cocoon among the grass close to 

 the ground, weaving the gnawed loose pieces of grass with the 

 fine stems and blades, and therein pupates during the latter 

 part of July. 



The pupa measures f in. long. The head is rounded ; the 

 thorax slightly swollen ; the abdomen cylindrical and tapering, 

 terminating in a long anal point furnished at the extremity with 

 an ample bunch of cremastral hooks, which are very securely 

 anchored to a pad of silk spun for the purpose at the end of the 

 cocoon. The head, thorax, and abdomen are clothed in short 

 stiff spines; below the spiracles they occur in dense tufts. Those 

 on the head are remarkably formed, all the longer ones termi- 

 nate in a hook ; these are in patches, the largest patch covering 

 the eye. These hooks are also fastened into the cocoon, so that 

 the pupa is securely anchored " fore and aft." At the base of 

 the wing is a peculiar raised disc. The whole surface of the 

 wings, antennae, and legs are covered with a lilac-grey bloom, 

 which is very easily detached ; it also covers the cocoon like 

 whitish powder, and small flakes are scattered over the pupa, 

 apparently of the same substance as that on the larva. The 

 head and thorax are pale olive, mottled with blackish : the 

 abdomen olive, spotted with dark olive, and inclining to yellow 

 on the ventral surface ; below each spiracle is a short longitu- 

 dinal mark ; the spiracles are amber-brown. This description 

 is of the female pupa. The male differs by having a well-defined 

 elongated dusky ridge covering the androconial mark on the 

 primary wing. 



The first one, a fine female, emerged on August 3rd, 1901. 

 All its stages much more resemble those of a moth than a 

 butterfly. 



It is curious to note that, besides other plants, Coronilla varia 

 is given as the food-plant of H. comma by several authors, in- 

 cluding Barrett, ' Lepidoptera of the British Islands ' ; Kirby, 

 'European Butterflies'; Meyrick, 'Handbook of British Lepi- 

 doptera ' ; Westwood and Humphreys, ' British Butterflies ' ; and 

 the descriptions given of the larva by many are so variable that 

 they are equally misleading — obviously the result of copying 

 from one to the other. 

 October, 1901. 



