1871. ] 165 
longish hairs which grow from them, and which seem to be more numerous at each 
end of the body. Varieties occur, in which the whole of the back has a slight 
pinkish tinge; others are darker, and of a reddish-grey colour; but when mature, 
all assume rather a pale ochreous-green tint. 
The cocoon when free in the sand is half-an-inch in length, ovate in shape, 
dumpy, irregularly rounded at one end and a little pointed at the other ; it is com- 
posed of grains of sand spun together, and is smoothly lined inside with silk ; when 
the cocoon is attached to a stone, it is abont five-eighths of an inch or a little more 
in length, but the ends roanded and of uniform size tapered off close to the surface of 
the stone. The pupa is about three-eighths of an inch in length, rather slender and 
smooth, but with no peculiarity of form, save that the tip of the abdomen is 
rounded off, and the wing cases rather long; it is of a pale greenish-ochreous tint, 
the wing-covers green, and the whole surface rather shining.—Wm. BuckreEr, 
Emsworth, September 18th, 1871. 
Natural history of Phibalapterye lapidata.—In October, 1870, I received 
through Mr. Buckler, some eggs of this species, which had been obtained by Mr, S. R. 
Fetherstonhaugh from a moth captured by him in Ireland. Not knowing when 
to expect the larva, I kept a portion of the eggs in a pill-box, and put the rest 
out doors on some moss. The former soon changed colour, but shrivelled up with- 
out producing anything; the latter remained without change till the beginning of 
May, 1871, when the larvee appeared in the course cf the first week. At first, I 
could not tell what food to give them, but, luckily, before I had lost all, I thought of 
trying Clematis, and on this I succeeded in getting three of them to feed. Of this 
trio, one died almost immediately, another fed on till the end of June, and died, 
whilst the third about the same time became a pupa. The moth, however, died 
without emerging, although it was so far developed that the markings of the wings 
could be plainly distinguished on removing the pupa-case. 
IT am able therefore to offer some descriptions of the earlier stages, but the 
question as to the proper food plant remains to be settled; the moths seem to 
affect coarse grass and rushes, and Galiwm verwm I understand grows abundantly 
where they have been taken by Mr. Fetherstonhaugh. 
The egg is of a long oval outline, one end blunter than the other, flattened, 
and with a depression on the upper surface; the shell covered all over with very 
faint pentagonal net work; colour yellow, changing just at last to olive. The 
young larva is smooth, slender, tapering, pale ochreous, with brownish dorsal and 
sub-dorsal lines. After it begins to feed the central part of the body becomes 
greenish ; but after a moult or two, and as soon as it really begins to grow, the 
ground colour becomes pale greenish-grey (much like that of immature Ph. tersata), 
except or the last segments, which, with the belly, are more ochreous, the dorsal 
line still brownish, two fine lines on the side, and a stouter one just above the 
spiracles. 
When full grown the length is rather over seven-eighths of an inch, the figure 
cylindrical, no longer to be called slender, but moderately stout, and nearly uniform 
throughout, except the head and second segment, which taper a little, as does also 
the 13th; the skin smooth. The ground colour of back and sides pale whitish- 
yellow, the back slightly glaucous, the sides more white; the thin dorsal line 
