110 Twenty-fourth Report on the State Museum, 



The larva measures one inch and six-tenths in repose. When 

 observed from above in this condition, its head is not visible, being 

 bent downward in such a position that its plane is almost parallel to 

 the surface on which the larva rests. 



The above larva fed for a day after its capture, when it fastened a 

 leaf, by a thin irregular web of brown silk, to the side of the glass 

 beneath which it was confined. "Within this slight shelter, it trans- 

 formed to a pupa on the day following, the 6th. 



The imago (a female) emerged on the morning of the 19th of July, 

 after a pupation of thirteen days. Before the wings had expanded, 

 their entire surface was covered with scales. In fifteen minutes from 

 the time of its escape from the pupa-case, the wings had attained 

 their full size. They remained folded together over the back, show- 

 ing their under-surface for a half-hour following, when they were 

 brought down to their normal position. They were now seen to be 

 overspread with light brownish scales having a golden reflection, 

 but so thinly distributed that the usual transparent portion of the 

 wing was plainly separable from the densely scaled marginal region. 



Desirous of securing so novel a specimen in a perfect condition, I 

 intended to leave it undisturbed for a few hours, until the danger of 

 bleeding from too early pinning had passed. Meanwhile, the strong 

 rays of the sun had encroached upon that portion of the breeding-cage 

 where the moth was resting, and driven it to a shaded corner. In 

 this change of position, its wings, after the habit of many of the 

 moths at this stage, were probably put in vibration, but not used in 

 flight about the cage, for the cilia and thoracic scales were intact ; 

 yet this moderate use of them sufiiced to destroy the peculiar beauty 

 of the specimen, by divesting it of the greater portion of the very 

 slightly attached scales. Upon the anterior wings, only those 

 remained which bordered the nervures and posterior marginal band. 

 Over the posterior wings, they were still uniformly distributed, but 

 not so closely as at first. 



It will be interesting to those who have the opportunity of making 

 the observation, to ascertain which of our Sesias emerge from their 

 pupal state, with scales covering that portion of their wings which 

 we are accustomed to see as transparent. Sesia Buffaloensis Gr. & 

 Rob., is known to .do so in both sexes, and to retain them, to a small 

 extent, when taken in a comparatively fresh condition in the field. 

 While the adherence of the scales in this species is stronger than in 

 S. diffinis, in no field specimen of which have I ever seen them remain- 



