1871.7 89 
larvee common on oak; Agriopis aprilina, larve ; Hadena thalassina and contigua ; 
Anarta myrtilli, on the heath ; Amphipyra pyramidea, larvee plentiful on oak and 
birch ; Euclidia mi, Herminia barbalis, Halias prasinana, &e.—Gro. T. PorrRirr, 
Hnddersfield, August 14th, 1871. 
Natural history of Agrotis corticea.—Few things have afforded me greater satis- 
faction than my having been able to figure and describe, I believe for the first time, 
the larva of this species,—one of those subterranean, dull-coloured larvee, several 
species of which may so easily be mistaken one for another. 
To Mr. George Norman, of Forres, my best thanks are due for the supply of 
eggs, which reached me on July 17th, 1870. The larvae were hatched between the 
20th and 25th of the same month; those which I kept under my own care had 
grown to the length of half-an-inch by August 15th, and by October 5th to one inch 
three-eighths, and, soon after November commenced, left off feeding, being, as I 
thought, ready for pupation; however, for some reason unknown to me, they all f 
died without changing. 
Meanwhile, the larves of which Mr. Hellins took charge grew more slowly, not 
being more than three-quarters of and inch in length when their hybernation com- 
menced, and, luckily, several of them survived the winter; these began to feed 
again in March, moulted about the beginning of April, and were full-fed from about 
the end of April to the middle of May. The moths appeared between-the 17th of 
June and 6th of July. 
The egg is somewhat the shape of an orange, but with its under-side more flat- 
tened, with irregular, shallow ribs and reticulations over its surface, and a central 
boss or knob in a little depression on the top. It is straw-coloured at first, after- 
wards of a flesh colour, with pale brown zone or blotches. 
When first hatched, the larva is of a greenish-grey, with blackish-brown head 
and plate behind it, the usual dots black and furnished with hairs. After feeding . 
for a few days, it becomes of a greenish-ochreous tint, and in another week of a 
greenish-olive, one example alone at this stage having been of a reddish-grey; the 
dots raised and still furnished with noticeable hairs. 
Up to this time, and for a few days longer, we found the habit of this larva was 
to feed uncovered on any of the various fleshy-leaved plants offered to it, at first 
eating only the cuticle, but soon making holes in the leaves of Chenopodium album, 
Polygonum, clover, &c.; but, when the length of half-an-inch, or thereabouts, had 
been attained, and the usual Agrotis appearance put on, it began to burrow in the 
loose soil, hiding by day, and coming out to feed at night. Later in the year, and \ 
again in the spring, the food supplied was dock, mullein, hollyhuck, and slices of 
carrot; and, in dull weather, if fresh food was put on the surface of the soil, and 
shaded from the light by leaves thrown over it, we found it would be eaten as 
readily by day as by night. From the time the larva is about half-an-inch in length 
up to about an inch, its colour is ochreous, with a dark, double dorsal line, and two 
lines on each side ; the usual warts small and dark brown. 
After its final moult, it comes out at first very much darker than before, with 
quite a noticeable appearance of sootiness over it; all the lines being purplish- 
black and much diffused ; the skin also presents quite a rough surface, and, although 
this is afterwards partly lost, yet it remains as a distinguishing feature to the end. 
When full grown, the larva is 1$ to 13 inches in length, according to 
