454 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



length, the head being bvoiight slightly forward, and tucked 

 in amongst the legs. Manciuiiata : — In habits and shape 

 precisely like Subsericeata, but, perhaps, a trifle more 

 slender; ground colour dark brown, strongly tinged with 

 chocolate, and without the ochreous markings so conspicuous 

 on the 8th and 9lh segments in Subsericeata; head marked 

 as in that species, but duller in appearance ; dorsal line also 

 similar to Subsericeata, but the rust-like mark so conspicuous 

 in that species is wanting in Mancuniata, but in one variety 

 it is replaced (though in a different position) by two distinct 

 white chalk-like marks ; ventral surface as in Subsericeata. 

 At the time I had my larvae, my friend Mr. J. P. Barrett, of 

 Peckham, also reared a brood of Subsericeata, and, as 

 his notes differ slightly from my observations, I append 

 them. In a letter dated October 25th, 1870, he says: — "I 

 received a drawing of Mancuniata from Mr. Doubleday this 

 morning, and should like to know whether your notes agree 

 with mine. The figure was taken by Mr. Buckler, in 1865, 

 from Dr. Knaggs' larvai. 1 think it is of a darker brownish 

 tinge, in general, than my Subsericeata, and the black dots 

 are more conspicuous. I'he last segments are paler than the 

 others, but appear to want the yellowish linge that Subseri- 

 ceata possesses. In other respects I can see no difference, 

 either in size or shape." On receipt of this letter I forwarded 

 my Mancuniata larvae to Mr. Barrett for comparison with his 

 Subsericeata; and, in a letter dated October 28th, he says: — 

 " 1 am now quite satisfied that there is but very slight 

 difference between the larvae of Mancuniata and Subsericeata; 

 1 believe that you would scarcely be able to pick out the 

 pale?' larva you sent, if it were placed in a batch of Subseri- 

 ceata. The chocolate-brown one might readily be distinguished, 

 but 1 should not be surprised if Subsericeata v aries similarly. 

 You mention in your notes that the larvie of Mancuniata are, 

 perhaps, more slender than Subsericeata. I have noticed 

 that in this respect my larvae varied considerably, but I am 

 scarcely prepared to say, though I suspect such to be the 

 case, that the more slender larvae produce the smaller insects, 

 vizt, the males. The figure before mentioned" (Mr. Buckler's) 

 "is taken from a larva as stout as any 1 have had. The 

 chief point of distinction that I have noted is the ochreous 

 marking on the latter segments, and, with respect to this, it 



