142 WILLOW. 



leaves considerably, and proved on examination to be larvfe of tbe 

 Clostera reclusa. Only one of these was observable on receipt, for the 

 others were spinning, or had spun, the Osier leaves together as shelters 

 temporarily, or for pupation. In one instance, the head of the little 

 caterpillar was observable moving from side to side almost as fast as 

 it could stir in forming its web and leaf shelter. 



A few days later, Miss Sturge forwarded some Osier shoots for 

 examination. On these the leaves were in some instances almost 

 eaten away by the caterpillars, so that only about a quarter, or less 

 than that, of the lowest part of the leaf might be still remaining. In 

 other cases the side of the leaf was so eaten away as to leave only the 

 mid-rib, with remains of leaf at distances. So far as appeared by the 

 specimens sent, the damage was chiefly to the leafage towards the end 

 of the shoot, and the terminal leaves were especially chosen for 

 spinning together. 



In her letter accompanying the specimens. Miss Sturge expressed 

 fear lest her Osiers should be destroyed by the attack, and enquired 

 whether, if she was to cut off the tops of the Osiers with the grubs in, 

 this would save the lower part, and I replied that if at any reasonable 

 cost the little bunches of spun-up leaves with the contained caterpillars 

 could be nipped off and destroyed, that this might certainly be expected 

 to make a deal of difference in danger of recurrence of attack. 



The caterpillars, until they were changing colour for the chrysalis 

 stage, corresponded fairly well with the description given in Newman's 

 ' British Moths,' p. 223, as having a broad grey stripe down the 

 middle of the back, this stripe being varied with yellow markings,* 

 and also having a central velvety spot on the fifth, and another on the 

 twelfth, segment. On each side of the grey stripe is a broad smoke- 

 coloured stripe running along each side and the under part of the 

 caterpillar; legs and sucker-feet are also smoke-coloured; but between 

 these and the side smoky stripe is a broad line, or narrow stripe, of 

 black and yellow spots. The head is black or dark ; the body hairy. 



The first few specimens which I had at the end of June being just 

 about full growth, I had little opportunity of watching them through 

 their changes from the characteristic colouring; but later on, beginning 

 about the 11th of September, I was able to observe the gradual change 

 of the autumn brood from the commencement of alteration of tint up 

 to pupation. 



The caterpillars were then about an inch in length, and the change 

 began by the stripe along the back becoming of a more uniform tint, 



* My specimens were more marked along the back with black spots, or small 

 lines, see figure, p. 141, copied from figure 1, plate xxxvii, of ' LarvEe of British 

 Butterflies and Moths,' by W. Buckler, Vol. III. Bay Society. 



