Insects. 7821 



already described, and runniufi upwards and backwards, but not nieeiing on thebaclc: 

 llie third of these lines is the longest; each segment of ibe body has also several series 

 of yellowish while and slightly raised dots comiilelely encircling it. About the middle 

 of June the larva suspends itself by the tail, and in that position changes to a stout 

 and rather awkward-looking pupa, the wing-cases of which are dark green, and the 

 abdomen yellow-green, with very faint indications of paler oblique lateral stripes, 

 similar to those I have already described in the larva. The head hangs downwards, 

 and terminates in two small points or ears. The perfect insect appears on the wing 

 early in July, and the male has always been celebrated for his lofty and graceful 

 flight: he is particularly fond of the oak, and, after wearying himself with aerial 

 gambols above and around some lofty monarch of the wood, will settle on a leaf, and 

 remain stationary until another male makes his appearance, when the first will leave 

 his station and join the intruder in what appears to be an amicable struggle iu the 

 air, each striving to get above the other: when tired of this exercise, each butterfly 

 will often descend to the identical leaf from which he rose, and again close his wings 

 as if at rest. The female flies but seldom, usually remaining on the stems or twigs of 

 the underwood, where she is sought by the male. These beautiful butterflies seem to 

 be attracted by the odour of putrefying flesh, or even still more disgusting substances, 

 and with uncoiled ma.xillfe may occasionally be found feasting on the moisture which 

 oozes therefrom. I regret that I cannot represent them as banqueting on the nectar 

 of flowers, or feasting ou some equally poetic and appropriate food ; but such is not 

 the case; and in these and similar cases of depraved appetite we can only lament a 

 fact as incontrovertilile as ft is unsatisfactory, repeating the somewhat trite but ever 

 sapient axiom, de gustibus non est dispulandum. — Edward Neivman. 



Description of the Larva of Smerinthns Populi. — Never rolls in a ring or feigns 

 death when disturbed ; rests with the head and anterior part of the body slightly ele- 

 vated. Head somewhat triangular, the apex of the triangle being the crown of the 

 liead : body decidedly but very gradually attenuated in front, and as gradually 

 increasing behind to the 12th segment, which bears a very short, nearly straight, 

 obliquely pointed horn ; body throughout transversely folded, the interstices of the 

 folds rather deeply incised in front. Head shining, apple-green, with two bright yel- 

 low lines approaching ou the crown, where they are often tipped with pink, and dis- 

 tant at the mouth ; body yellow-green, rough with minute points like shagreen ; these 

 points are yellow', and are mostly arranged on the summits of the folds, but also 

 forming seven very perceptible oblique lines on each side ; each of these commences 

 near a spiracle, and extends upwards and backwards, the seventh terminating in the 

 horn, which is reddish at the base, pale at the summit, and very scabrous : the spiracles 

 are usually accompanied by, but not included in, a pink marking. There is a beauti- 

 ful and not uncommon variety of this larva, which has a series of ten conspicuous and 

 nearly square red spots on each side of the back, one just in advance of each oblique 

 line already described. Feeds on various species of Populus (poplar) and Salix (sal- 

 low) ; full fed in August and September, when it descends to the ground, and changes 

 to a rough and always dirty-looking pupa, on or very near the surface of the ground, 

 where it remains throughout the winter. 1 have never seen any indication of either 

 an earthen or silken cocoon. — Id. 



Description of the Larva of Nola cueullaiella. — KoUs itself in a ring and falls off 

 its food-plant, feigning death, when disturbed. Head small : segmental divisions of 

 the body strongly niaiked, each ssguient having six pron)ineiit shining warts, and each 



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