180 LIETJT.-COL. J. M. FAWCETT ON THE 



but paling to whitish laterally, giving the larva very much the appearance of the peculiar 

 brush used to clean the inside of lamp-chimneys ; legs and claspers bright red. The 

 young larva does not differ except in size. 



Feeds on Vernonia gerrardi (Harv.), Natural Order Compositae, and Cyanotis nodijera 

 (Kunth), Natural Order Commelinaceae. 



Pupa. Pale red-brown. Formed in a slight web among the leaves of the food-plant, 

 and very short and thick in proportion to its length. Of my examples the first specimen 

 spun up its cocoon on 4th December, 1900, and emerged as an imago on 12th January, 

 1901. 



The imago is very common, coining freely to light, and buzzing round the mess-tent 

 at night at Belfast (6500 feet altitude) in the Eastern Transvaal. 



The figure represents a rather heavily-marked female. 



Rhodogastria astkeas var. bauri (Moschler). (Plate VII. fig. 27, larva.) 



Bomby.x astreas Drury, 111. Exot. Ins. ii. p. 49, pi. xxviii. fig. 4 (1773). 



Bombyx astreas var. bauri MSschl. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xxxiii. p. 289, pi. 16. £. 2 (1884). 



Larva. Head and body pale grass-green ; head with a black spot on crimson ground 

 of moderate size at the apex of each eye ; body irrorated with minute yellow spots over 

 dorsal region, and paired subdorsal crimson spots on 4th and 11th somites, and a 

 crimson and black V-shaped mark pointing posteriorly, and enclosing a pale yellowish- 

 green area on 7th and 9th somites ; a yellow lateral line from 4th somite to anal 

 extremity ; spiracles crimson ; legs and claspers green. 



Feeds on " AVaterboom." 



The pupa, which is brown, covered with a white efflorescence like the pupa? of some 

 species of Hesperidae, is formed amongst leaves on the surface of the ground in a light 

 web. The specimens I saw when passing through Durban in October 1900 were 

 forming pupae, which would indicate that the species is at least double-brooded. 



The moth is not uncommon on the coast of Natal. 



Family LASIOCAMPID^. 



Metanastria aculeata Walker. (Plate VII. figs. 29, larva; 30, society of pupae 

 in a common cocoon.) 



Metanastria aculeata Walker, Cat. Het. B.M. xxxii. p. 565 (1865). 



Larva. Head and body pale pinkish brown, marked by dark chocolate-brown lines 

 and striae ; the summit of each somite having an ovate mark of dark striae ; the lines 

 being most defined laterally, where two pale pinkish parallel lines run from head to 

 anal extremity ; a few sparse hairs are scattered over the dorsal region, and a spiracular 



