194 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



uncertain and semi-transparent green, very similar to that of 

 the belly. — Edward Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Cucullia Verhasci. — When 

 full fed, at the beginning of July, it rests on the stem or 

 leaves of Verbascum Thapsus (hoary or moth mullein) in a 

 straight position, and is a conspicuous and attractive object : 

 all the specimens I have obtained were from this plant, and I 

 cannot help thinking that considerable care is requisite in 

 assigning any other food to this familiar species : when 

 annoyed, it sometimes throws itself on the ground rolled in 

 the ring form : the detailed description which follows is 

 written ratlier with a view of distinguishing Verbasci from 

 cognate species than from any idea of its novelty : I may 

 mention that in most of our English collections specimens of 

 Verbasci appear as the representatives of the two continental 

 species, Verbasci and Scrophulariae. The head is rather 

 narrower than the 2nd segment; its position is prone, its face 

 flattish, and its crown without a perceptible notch : the body 

 is almost uniformly cylindrical, but the incisions of the seg- 

 ments, which appear to be thirteen in number — and the reader 

 will please to observe I am now speaking of the segments of 

 the body only, not of the entire larva — the incisions, I say, 

 are deep and generally well-marked, but there is a decidedly 

 transverse skinfold between each two of the segments, which 

 interferes with the precision of the boundaries of the seg- 

 ments. The appearance of a th'rteenth segment in the body 

 of lepidopterous larvae is not very uncommon : in all that 

 Natural Order which I have called Xyleutites or carpenters, 

 from their unceasing occupation of working in wood, in these, 

 as in the case now under consideration, the segments follow 

 the ordinary numerical formula as far as the llth inclusive, 

 counting the head as one, but beyond the llth are three 

 divisions, making fourteen in all, and the question whether 

 the additional or supplementary division is really an integral 

 part of the 12th or 13th segment, is one which may reason- 

 ably excite discussion among those skilled in controversy ; 

 to myself it appears most unquestionably a portion of the 

 13th segment. The colour of the head is yellow, with nine 

 black spots on the face, two of these, being circular and 

 situated below the forehead, somewhat represent eyes, and 

 above each of these pseudo-eyes is an amorphous mark often 



