270 fMay, 



very minute, of ground colour, faintly outlined with black ; a pale faint patch of 

 ochreous is on the back of the twelfth segment, and on the thirteenth it is paler 

 still, and has there a dark brown sub-dorsal stripe, and the surface is shining. 



In the sub-dorsal regions of the 3rd and 12th segments is an ocellated spot of 

 greyish or whitisli-grey, with black centre, bearing a hair. 



Another larva left its cone full fed on September 22nd. The length, when 

 stretched out, three-quarters of an inch, its body one-eighth of an inch in diameter. 

 Its colour on back and sides is rather a bronzy-brown, the belly and lower part of 

 sides rather paler pinkish-brown ; a very fine lino or thread of ground colour divides 

 the pitchy-blackish plate on second segment, which is margined in front by a portion 

 of the brown skin next the head. 



Mr. Wood having kindly given me the result of his careful experience with 

 these larvBB, I here quote from his advice : — 



" I think they do best when the cone is kept on its side, and not standing on 

 end. I have found them so far not dilEcult to rear. The only time Avhen they want 

 a little management is just after they have shed the last skin, or the last but one ; 

 should they at that time be out of their burrow, it is useless then to put them on an 

 ordinary cone, as they will not make any attempt to eat into it, but wander about 

 and would ultimately die. The plan is to get a dry cone, and break off some of the 

 scales, so as to leave a rough surface ; as soon as the larva is put upon this, all ten- 

 dency to wander vanishes ; it soon sets about spinning a hidingplace, making it very 

 secure, and taking plenty of time over it, for it is sometimes as much as thirty-six 

 hours before it runs out a little covered way to the fresh cone that has been placed 

 by the side of the other. 



■' It seems to be yerj impatient of exposure, more particularly when left feeble 

 from the process of moulting, for it has been only at this particular time this care 

 has been required. At an earlier age it is able to creep under a scale, and a few 

 threads will complete the concealment." 



I found the first larva when it left the cone wander about until it died, refusing 

 to attack the fresh cone supplied to it. Mr. Wood then kindly sent me a cone con- 

 taining two larv88 approaching maturity on the 12th of September, intimating that 

 I might expect to see one of them out of the cone in about ten days' time in search 

 of a place for spinning up. This was a most exact prognostication, for though I 

 looked daily into the pot after it, and noted with satisfaction the increasing heap of 

 brown frass that steadily accumulated at the bottom, yet no larva made its appear- 

 ance till the afternoon of the 22nd, when I beheld it hanging down from the cone, 

 apparently examining the smooth surface of the jam pot. 



After taking the note of its size and appearance before recorded, and securing 

 its portrait, I put it into a pot prepared with earth at the bottom, on which were 

 placed a fresh cone and an old brown one, with some pieces of touch wood, and after 

 it was placed on the old cone it examined the surface of the fresh one for a moment 

 or two, and returning to the old one, descended to the peaty earth, over which it 

 crept to the touch wood, amongst which it speedily disappeared. 



The second inhabitant of the cone (now on the 28th) continued to feed, as 

 evidenced by grains of frass continuing to accumulate at the bottom of the pot, 

 beneath the hole by which its co-tenant had previously left it. 



Mr. Wood tells me " that several larvse will often agree together in a single 



