NOTES AND OBSEKVATtONS. 63 



green. The head is smaller than the following segment, and the 

 caterpillar tapers towards the extremity. It does not like microscopic 

 examination, and starts off rapidly when the lens is above it. Third 

 stage : Green, with a not very distinct yellowish-green stripe along each 

 side containing the spiracles. The spiracles are yellow, surrounded 

 by black rings. Fourth stage : In 1894 this stage was reached June 

 17th ; in 1895, a much warmer season, on May 29th. Head, segments, 

 claspers, apple-green. There is a thin whitish yellow medio-dorsal 

 line, and an exactly similar line on each side of the larva. Below the 

 side line, and including the spiracles, is a broad yellowish white stripe. 

 The spiracles are white-yellow with black rings. The four dorsal spots on 

 each segment are white-yellow. The geometer-like character of looping 

 is now lost. To the eye the caterpillars appear apple-green, with a 

 yellow stripe or line along each side. They never got beyond this 

 stage with me in 1894. Fifth stage: June 11th, 1895. The head 

 and second segment are pale brownish green, with darker markings. 

 The second segment is mottled on the sides with brown. The dorsal 

 area of the remaining segments is olive-green, conspicuously mottled 

 with warm reddish brown. Segment divisions reddish. Each segment 

 has, dorsally, four dark brown spots, with dull yellowish centres. 

 There is a dull yellow stripe along each side containing the reddish 

 spiracles, which are surrounded by black rings. The caterpillar is 

 green underneath, slightly mottled with brown. Legs pale reddish 

 brown ; claspers green. The caterpillar has now reached its final 

 stage. Seen without the aid of a lens it appears as follows : — The 

 head is pale greenish brown, and slightly smaller than the second 

 segment. The body is cylindrical and reddish olive-green dorsally. 

 The red tint preiominates, and resembles the deep blush on a ripe 

 apricot. When moving about the segment divisions are more exposed, 

 and are of a brighter red than the back of the caterpillar ; along each 

 side there is a dull yellow stripe ; these side stripes have a waved 

 appearance, as if composed of a series of crescents, one crescent 

 on each segment. The legs are pale reddish brown, the claspers 

 green. Newman, in his ' British Moths,' p. 395, remarks upon the 

 similar appearance of the caterpillar, doubtless when fully grown, to 

 that of Ejnmda lichenea. I compared his description of the latter 

 species (p, 400) with my P. niyrocincta larvae on July 17th. The chief 

 points of difference are that in P. nigrocincta the head is "tessellated" 

 with darker markings ; secondly, the back of the caterpillar is without 

 indistinct lozenge-shaped oblique marks. Thirdly, the dorsal reddish 

 colour in P. nigrocincta is very pronounced. Still it may be very easy 

 to confound the species. The larvae preferred groundsel to everything 

 else. They began to pupate on June 13th. Here the curtain drops 

 on their history, for they never appeared again. I did not rear a 

 single moth. True their pots were submerged in the heavy triple 

 thunderstorm of June 26th. But I certainly expected them to follow 

 some sort of suit to P. chi, and show a moth or two at least. It seems 

 to be a difficult species to rear from the egg, and I shall be glad to 

 hear if this has ever been done. — J. Arkle ; Chester, Jan. 2nd, 1896. 



Some Continental Varieties of British Species recently recorded. 

 -^Amphidasys prodromaria, — M. F. Delahave chronicles two vars. of 



