7004 Insects. 



the male's wings and some of the latter have a grayish ring round the 

 central spot ; the dark central band in both sexes is liable to be inter- 

 rupted, and indeed to be much diminished in extent every way, some- 

 times appearing as two thin irregular dashes or streaks. 



O. Cidaria picata. I have found this larva almost a tougher subject 

 for description than Melanippe procellata, but must try my best : the 

 ground is of a pale stone-colour, segmental divisions reddish ; no dor- 

 sal Hue, but a dark blackish patch on each segment, increasing in size 

 and depth of tint up to the ninth, where it attains its maximum, none 

 on the last four segments ; subdorsal stripes dusky, very much freckled 

 and diffused, and forming four small dark dots at the corners of the 

 dorsal patches; just above the spiracles is an irregular dusky stripe 

 enclosing a thin wavy line of the ground-colour, bordered with black; 

 spiracles black ; belly marked on each side at the segmental divisions 

 with groups of small black spots. Thrives fast on chickweed, though 

 I must confess I half expected to find it attack the leaves of some tree 

 or shrub. 



O. C corylata. Two or three larvae, hatched on the 22nd of June, 

 fed up on the small-leafed sloe, and went to earth on the 2nd of Octo- 

 ber, having grown so very slowly that for a long time I fancied — espe- 

 cially as they did not appear at all unhealthy — that they would hyber- 

 nate. They did not quite agree with the descriptions 1 have read, 

 but had the ground-colour of a yellowish green ; subdorsal stripe 

 greenish yellow ; on the third to the fifth segment, and again on the 

 eleventh to the tail a dark reddish brown dorsal stripe ; on each of 

 the intermediate segments four very fine brown dots arranged in pairs, 

 with a fine dash on each segment and at each segmental division ; spi- 

 racles white, the middle ones having between them a row of four brown 

 spots ; belly sprinkled with very fine brown dots arranged in lines. 



C. pyraliata. A rather slender pale green looper, with yellowish 

 segmental divisions, and a broad dark green dorsal line, bordered on 

 each side with yellow, which I found in spring feeding on cleavers 

 {Galium Aparine) produced this species, and I know it has also been 

 both reared and taken on Galium mollugo. Query, Is Albin, as quoted 

 by the ' Manual,' right in giving whitethorn as the food? though I 

 suppose it is certain that Eupithecia vulgata feeds on flowers of rag- 

 wort, &c., as well as on hawthorn. 



O. EiihoUa cervinaia. A small batch of eggs, laid October 14, 

 1858, and kept together through the winter, were hatched at various 

 intervals between April 10th and May 30th, 1859, some of the larvae 

 having been six months and others seven months and a half in the 



