﻿90 September, 



suited in my finding an egg deposited on the narrow leaved plantain ; in this oase, 

 there was, however, no trace of any larva having fed ; and its occurrence on that 

 plant must have been accidental, for I afterwards found several eggs on the under* 

 side of the leaves of Lotus corniculatus and also larva? and pupae in the roots of the 

 same. I have forwarded the larva to Mr. Buckler to figure and he will send a 

 description of it to the Magazine. — E. G. Meek, 4, Old Ford Koad, B., July 30th. 



Note on the earlier stages of Sesia ichneumoniformis. — The larva of this 

 species has, until recently, baffled the researches of entomologists, both British and 

 foreign ; and has been reserved for the indefatigable Mr. Meek to make known to 

 us. This is the second clear-wing larva he has discovered. 



On July 26th, 1869, Mr. Meek sent me a larva of 8. ichneumoniformis, and 

 subsequently a pupa, with the mines of both in the main roots of Lotus corniculatus. 



Its habit is to scoop out a grove or hollow channel along the side of the 

 root, covering its back evenly with the gnawings or de'bris of frass, spun to- 

 gether with silk, not projecting as an excrescence, but with the outline of the root 

 preserved ; it is however, if present, readily seen where sought for, as the external 

 covering of its mine is of a pale brownish-yellow saw-dust tint and texture, in strong 

 contrast to the dark grey -brown colour of the rind of the root. 



The larva is about half-an-inch long, rather thick in proportion to its length, 

 the head is less flattened than usual in this genus, and the body rounded, plump 

 and full ; the second segment is the longest, and the third and fourth are rather 

 thicker than the others, with puffed or swollen sub-divisions ; the rest of the seg- 

 ments have rather an over-lapping tendency, and the three hinder ones taper 

 gradually. 



The head is pale brownish flesh colour, with three broad stripes of brown down 

 each lobe, and a triangular brown patch between them ; the mouth is blackish- 

 brown. 



The second segment has a semi-transparent polished plate of flesh colour, 

 through which can be faintly seen the back parts of the head slightly tinged with 

 brown. 



All the other segments are of an uniform pale yellowish flesh colour, rather 

 opaque, with a slight trace, here and there visible, of a darker dorsal vessel. 



The tubercles are not raised, but the situation of each of them is indicated by 

 a very fine pale brown hair. The spiracles are flesh-coloured, outlined with brown ; 

 the pro-legs same as the body ; the anterior legs pale brown. 



The pupa is about three-eighths of an inch long and rather flattened beneath ; 

 arched upwards rather suddenly from the sharp beaked point at the head, and 

 rounded on the back. The abdomen at its junction with the thorax is depressed 

 at the sides, widens gradually for about half its length, and from thence tapers 

 towards the anal extremity, which is rather truncated. The abdominal rings have 

 a series of minute covered hooks at their odges. The wing and antennae cases are 

 remarkably long, extending nearly to the end of the abdomen. The eyes appear 

 large and projecting and are black, all the other parts being of a shining bronzy 

 brown. — Wm. Buckler, Emsworth, 12th August, 1869. 



Note on period of appearance of larva of Polia nigrocincta. — Mr. Gregson has 

 certainly made a mistake in his accounts of the larva of this species, when he states 



