Insects. 7719 



seringa, snowberrry [Symphorecarpiis racetnosus), guelder rose ( Vibur- 

 num opulus), and on young ash trees. They remain on the upper or under 

 sides of the leaves during the whole day, until the commencement of 

 evening twilight, almost motionless, and rolled up in a spiral form, as 

 shown in our first figure. In the evening they wake out of their day 

 sleep, and begin to feed. 



I have always met with it nearly full grown, and this seems to have 

 been the case with former observers, excepting De Geer, who says 

 that his larvae underwent frequent changes of skin, although he does 

 not record whether any difference in outward appearance, except as 

 to size, was observable during their progress to maturity. Brischke 

 also observed the larvaj when young. According to this author they 

 are then covered with a sort of bloom of a blue colour, and have black 

 heads, while the marks on the back appear as small black triangles. 



The larvae have twenty-two legs, the fourth segment only being 

 apodal. The head is shining, of a bluish' black-brown colour ; the 

 parts of the mouth are pale brown ; the eyes black ; the head com- 

 pletely covered with very fine white hairs. The colour of the skin 

 varies in different individuals, being generally gray, sometimes 

 dull green, also light purple, always with dark purple velvety 

 markings on the back, one on each segment, except the last. On the 

 first segment this spot is oval or elliptical, and is divided in the middle 

 by the dorsal vessel showing through. On the next segment the spot 

 is triangular, with the apex towards the head and the base towards the 

 tail, the base having two curled processes, between which are generally 

 found two small lighter-coloured round spots. Above the legs is a 

 longitudinal stripe, darker than the ground colour, and in this are 

 placed the brown elliptical spiracles. The legs are of a redder tint. 



I have no record of the number of times the larvae change their skin. 

 After the last moult they become pale ochreous-yellow, and more 

 shining than before ; the dark-coloured head assumes a red hue, with 

 a pale brown spot on the crown ; the triangular spots on the back are 

 then scarcely perceptible. For this reason we are obliged to point 

 out the inaccuracy of Brischke's fig. 5 c, which represents the insect 

 subsequent to the last moult, but in which figure the triangular mark- 

 ings are quite as distinct as, if not more so than, in the others. Having 

 arrived at this stage, the larvae do not feed any more, but seek a suit- 

 able place in which to undergo their change. 



The larvae of AUantus tricinctus attain a length of 1 inch or 28 mm. 

 Brischke states that upon being touched they emit from the mouth a 

 brownish green fluid of a very foetid odour. I do not deny the correct- 



