THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 383 



position prone, its face flattened, its crown rounded and 

 scarcely at all notched ; the body is rather stout, of nearly 

 uniform substance, but having the 3rd and 4th segments 

 slightly swollen ; the back is transversely, but not strongly, 

 wrinkled or folded, and has several small warts, more espe- 

 cially on the 12th and 13th segments, each of which emits a 

 small bristle-like hair; along each side of the body is a very 

 imperfect and intercepted skinfold : the prevailing colour, 

 both of the head and body, is dingy smoke-colour: the head 

 has an ocellus-like mark on each cheek near the crown, and 

 the body has a large amorphous whitish patch on each side 

 of the 8th and 9th segments ; in some specimens these 

 patches almost meet on the back ; on the dorsal surface of 

 the middle segments there is a trace of the V-shaped mark so 

 frequently occurring in Geometers, and a dark transverse 

 line on the 12th ; moreover, on each side of the 4th and 5th 

 segments is an indistinct and vague oblique line, darker than 

 the general ground colour; the belly is rather more variegated 

 than the back, but altogether it is a most dingy -looking 

 animal, and, like the perfect insect, it has no claim whatever 

 to the title of " pictaria," unless on the principle said to be 

 implied in the word " lucus," « non lucendo : "pictaria" quia 

 non picta. From my knowledge of Mr. Curtis's character I 

 entirely acquit him of this feeble attempt at wit; his was far 

 too grave and solid a character to have descended to the light 

 and frivolous. Towards the end of July the larva descends 

 towards the earth, and changes to a pupa near the sur- 

 face, without spinning any perceptible cocoon: it remains 

 in the pupa state throughout the winter, and until the bitter 

 blasts of another April have scorched the young leaves of the 

 blackthorn in the futile attempt to unfold themselves. I am 

 indebted to Mr. Machin for the opportunity of describing this 

 larva. — Edward Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Nemoria vlridata. — When at 

 rest its position is perfectly straight, except at the two 

 extremities, both of which bend slightly backwards : the head 

 is of nearly the same width as the 2nd segment and is deeply 

 notched on the crown, which is produced into two points 

 directed slightly forwards; the face is flat and its position 

 prone, the mouth being thus brought into contact with the 

 legs, to which it is closely appressed, the legs themselves 



2 A 



