﻿1869.] 165 



both alike of a doep smoky dull flesh colour, the dorsal pulsating vessel just visible 

 as a faintly darker stripe of the same ; the warts, however, still dark brown, and 

 the head and plates as before described. 



Hitherto the larva had fed well on both species of Equisetum, but it now ceased 

 eating, and began excavating a hole in the earth, at the side of ita pot, in which, 

 by the 15th, it had changed to a light ochreous-brown pupa, but without forming 

 any cocoon ! 



The pupa was f-inch long, moderately stout, presenting no unusual peculiarity 

 of form, but ending in an anal spike, which was inserted in the earth, and on the 

 two last segments were a few fine short bristles pointing backwards. The moth 

 ©merged on the I4th of August. 



Soon after the above larva came into my possession, I identified it with my 

 figure of one sent to me by Mr. Steele, of Congleton, on the 10th July, 1866 (which 

 proved to be infested with Microgaster alvearius), and also of some others in May, 

 1867, then quite small, and all of them feeding in the roots of Dock, but which 

 I unfortunately failed to rear to the imago state. — Wm. Buckler, Emsworth, 

 October, 1869. 



Abnormal habits observed in Ennomos lunaria. — The following vagaries in the 

 * life history " of Ennomos lunaria may possibly be of interest to the readers of 

 E, M. M. In August, 1868, I found five pupa? of this insect at the roots of ash 

 trees, in Derbyshire, being, at the time, ignorant of their identity. At the end of 

 April, 1869, all emerged, viz., three females, and two males. From a pair, I 

 obtained a considerable number of eggs, all of which, except twelve, I sent away 

 to various applicants. The eggs which I had reserved, hatched the third week in 

 May. Two larva? died, and the remainder became pupae at the end of June. Early 

 in July, I came to this place, and, in arranging my larvae, pupa?, &c, I put those of 

 lunaria into what I call " my next year's box," taking it for granted that they 

 would remain in " statu quo " throughout the winter, as the others had done, — and 

 as this species always does, according to my experience. In the first week of 

 August however, upon looking into the box, I found a male had emerged and spoiled 

 itself. A few days later another male appeared, and at intervals, three females. 

 Then followed an interregnum, but on or about the 20th of September, a male and 

 female emerged simultaneously. These paired, and the female laid about 50 eggs. 

 Though this proceeding was quite opposed to my previous experience, I did not 

 trouble myself, taking for granted that the eggs would remain dormant until the 

 following spring. Judge my dismay as well as astonishment, when, the first week 

 in October, I found every egg had hatched, and the young larva? unusually brisk 

 and active. I thought this too bad, as I knew their food-plant would fail before 

 they were full-grown. However, I bestirred myself, and procured some as tender 

 birch as I could find. Placing this in a bottle of water within a glass cylinder, I 

 awaited the result. It struck me at once that the young larva? were all " abroad." 

 They were restless and uneasy, and did not take kindly to their food. However, 

 at the end of the month, they had passed through the second moult. Seeing then 

 that it would be impossible to rear them, the birch leaves being destitute of nutri- 

 ment, I threw them away. Whether, had I kept them, they would have hyber- 

 nated, or preferred dying of starvation, I cannot say. I thought that I was now 



