No. 3.] Indigo. 147 



common anywhere in Behar this season. My specimens varied 

 considerably in size, some being twice as large as others ; they vary 

 greatly in colour also, some being pale green, others yellowish green, 

 and others again dark green. A nearly full-fed larva when extended 

 in walking measures between a half and three-quarters of an inch in 

 length. In colour it is green of various shades ; the segments appear 

 to be considerably retractible, as the larva when disturbed curls up 

 into a ring, when all the segments are shortened and thickened. The 

 larva is nearly cylindrical, the head is smaller than the second seg- 

 ment, the segments increase in width to the fourth, from thence to 

 the anal segment they are of nearly equal width, though the anal 

 segment js slightly larger than the others. The head is pale 

 greenish-ochreous with a few scattered black bristles. There is a 

 broad dorsal area of a paler green than the lateral areas, bearing 

 numerous fine green lines, two of which close together in the middle 

 line of the back are darker than the others ; the broad dorsal area is 

 bounded by a rather broad yellow line on each side ; the lateral areas 

 are dar*ker than the dorsal area, and bear similar fine darker green 

 lines ; the lateral area on each side is posteriorly bounded by a broad 

 yellow line irregularly marked with reddish-orange ; just anterior to 

 this line are the pure white spiracles ; the ventral surface is pale 

 green, as are all the legs ; the claws of the true or thoracic legs and 

 the bristles on the pro or abdominal legs are reddish-brown. The 

 larva is exceedingly active, walking fast, and, as noted above, curls 

 itself up into a ring when touched and drops to the ground without 

 spinning a suspensory thread. It is probable that the hotter climate 

 of Calcutta was the cause of the death of all the pupae I brought 

 down from Behar. On examining them I found they had all shri- 

 , veiled up in the earth at the bottom of the breeding-cages in which 

 they had been kept. 



Agrotis segetis has received many synonymic names. Sir George 

 Hampson in "The Fauna of British India: Moths," vol. ii, p. 181, 

 n. 1620 (1894), gives nine names, given it by Walker and one by 

 Swinhoe. He thus describes it: — u Whitish-brown, pale-brown, or 

 fuscous ; palpi darker at the sides ; collar with a dark line ; abdomen 

 whitish. Fore wing with double waved subbasal, ante and post- 

 medial lines ; an obscure waved submarginal line, and marginal 

 series of specks ; the orbicular and reniform with dark centres and 

 edges ; the claviform small and black ; all these markings being 

 much obscured in the dark specimens. Hind wing iridescent white 

 with a dark marginal line, and in some specimens with dark suffusion 

 on the margin. 



