NOTES ON CAKADKINA (LAPHYGMA) EXIGUA. 81 



The young larvae in most cases ate their egg-shells, but some 

 were left undamaged save for the hole made by the larva to 

 escape from the shell. 



The ova were attached to the box and covered with a downy 

 mass of fine hairs, varying in colour from greyish-brown to 

 white ; the latter probably being the fringes of the hind wings, 

 and the former from the body and thorax. In some cases the 

 hairs were missing, the ova being quite exposed. I was unable 

 to determine if these had been deposited by a female who had 

 lost or used all her hairs or not, but from the very much greater 

 proportion of covered ones, I am inclined to think that the 

 covering is usual. 



For a fuller description of the ova I cannot do better than 

 refer the reader to the excellent article on the subject by Mr. 

 Alfred Sich, F.E.S., on page 267 of the 'Entomologist' for 

 December, 1906. 



When first hatched the young larvae were dark grey with 

 black head and plate. They took readily to dock, plantain, 

 Calystigia sepiuin, and Convolvulus arvensis. After feeding, they 

 turned a pale greenish colour ; spots appeared on the fifth day, 

 and on the sixth, when they had apparently moulted, lines were 

 discernible. Five days later these markings were much more 

 brilliant and distinct. They varied in colour from pale apple- 

 green to very dark sage, while others were pale brown with a 

 slight pinkish tinge ; others were darker brown, and some nearly 

 black. All these varieties were of a pale ground colour, but the 

 upper half was so lined and streaked with various shades and 

 thicknesses of darker colour as to give it a shagreen-like appear- 

 ance, the bands being formed by the different density and thick- 

 ness of these lines and streaks. There is a gloss over all which 

 gives the larvae a most beautiful velvety appearance. Head, 

 plate, and legs are black. The largest, apparently full-grown, 

 larvae measured slightly under an inch and a quarter when fully 

 extended, of uniform and moderate thickness, tapering slightly 

 at the first, second, and thirteenth segments. Spiracles very 

 delicately outlined in dark green, brown, or black. Spiracular 

 Ime white. The subdorsal band darker than the dorsal area, 

 and equaling about half its width, and extending the whole 

 length of the back ; this band is bordered at its outside edge by 

 a very much darker line, which divides it from the spiracular 

 line. This darker line is broken up into a series of short lines 

 extending in a forward direction from each spiracle to a small 

 white spot, which is situated slightly behind and above the next 

 spiracle. These short lines are broadest and most pronounced 

 on the hinder portion of each segment, from where they touch 

 the white spot, to the fold. 



The space between each spiracle and its accompanying white 

 spot is paler than the surrounding area, breaking up both the 



