62 



for its last moult, drawing a small leaf closely together, 

 closing up every aperture, and lining the interior with silk. 



"After the last moult the larva becomes a clear pale green, 

 practically without spots or markings, and feeds exposed. 

 The change in appearance produced by the last moult is 

 most noticeable. I can only describe it in language which 

 may sound somewhat archaic to advanced members. It 

 seems like a jump in a single moult from a Micro to a 

 Macro larva. 



" As has been noticed, the cocoon is white when spun. 

 When it becomes yellow the change is presumably due to 

 the action of moisture. The pupa is attached to the inside 

 of the cocoon by cremastral hooks. 



" The singular and conspicuous process in the pupa, ex- 

 tending far beyond the wing-cases, is no doubt a sheath for 

 the very long proboscis, but even then it seems to me, in 

 my superficial ignorance, much too wide for the purpose, 

 though Dr. Chapman could no doubt explain all about it. 

 In the exhibits herewith I have tried to illustrate some of 

 the matter touched upon." 



Mr. R. South exhibited (i) a series of twelve specimens 

 of Vanessa iirUcce, reared from larvae that were taken from 

 nettle when quite small and afterwards fed up on hop. 

 Except in the case of three of the examples, no aberrational 

 result was exhibited, and the variation in the three excep- 

 tions was simply an encroachment of the ground colour on 

 the usually yellowish space between the black costal spots 

 I and 2 on the fore-wings, and a narrowing of the reddish 

 fulvous band of the hind wings. 



(2) Cleora glabraria ; about twenty-five larvae of this 

 species were obtained from the New Forest, and appeared to 

 feed well and eventually pupate satisfactorily. Only four- 

 teen moths emerged, mostly of the ordinary pale speckled 



orm. Two of the specimens, however, were rather greyer 

 than usual, and one was considerably suffused and clouded 

 with blackish, 



(3) Acidalia trigeminata ; a female of this species, taken 

 at Wisley on July 5th, 1902, deposited about twenty eggs. 

 The larvae hatched in due course, and some of them, about 

 half a dozen, fed up rapidly, pupated, and attained the moth 

 state in September. The other larvae hibernated, and could 

 not be induced to continue feeding. Most of these died in 

 the spring, and only two attained the perfect state, one moth 

 emerging on June 2nd and the other on June loth, 1903. 



I 



