26 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



either when the larva is crawling or, more obviously, when rolled in a 

 ring ; hair on the mediodorsal region fulvous-orange, that on the sides 

 fulvous-grey ; the 3rd and 4th segments have each a lateral crescentic 

 bright orange marking ; anal flap orange, freckled with black ; 

 spiracles pale, each having above it an oblique line of a dingy brown 

 colour in the middle, and almost white at both extremities ; below 

 each spiracle is a jet black verruciform dot; venter smoky-black, 

 irregularly variegated with orange ; legs orange-red with black claws ; 

 claspers pitchy-red, inclining to smoke-colour." 



Variation of larva. — Buckler gives two excellent -figures of 

 adult larvae : (1) Of the ordinary type, with golden dorsum, black trans- 

 verse medio-segmental lunular marks and black intersegmental rings, 

 and bluish or slaty lateral hairs below the spiracular line (PI. xlvii., 

 fig. 1). (2) A white-grey form, with brown head and yellow clypeus, 

 and brown anal claspers. The dorsal and ventral areas are covered 

 with greyish-white hairs, white mediodorsal and supraspiracular 

 lines, and black intersegmental rings between the abdominal segments, 

 the thoracic segments divided into three, and the abdominal into four, 

 subsegments (PL xlvii., fig. ia). Adkin says that in the Scilly Isles 

 about 5 per cent of the larvae have greyish-white hairs instead of 

 yellow. 



Pupation. — The cocoon is made slightly under the surface of the 

 ground ; it is quite concealed by fragments of grass, moss, soil, &c. ; 

 pupation takes place in confinement at the end of June and July, but 

 depends somewhat on food supply (Bowles) ; the pupal period lasts 

 about three weeks (Hewett) ; the larvae spin up just beneath the surface 

 of the sand, and they must, in confinement, be kept slightly damp, both 

 larvae and cocoons have strong urticating properties (Jones) ; the larvae 

 have no certain rule as to where their cocoons shall be placed, some 

 spin them on the surface of the ground among roots and moss, others 

 go under the earth from one to six inches (Reading); the larva burrows, 

 found several cocoons some with, others without, a loose cocoon of 

 earth outside the cocoon proper (Bingham). One found at Bobbie, in the 

 Vaudois in August, 1901, was spun under the ledge of an overhanging 

 mass of rock ; it was partly hidden in a crack and with little loose outside 

 spinning, and at least 6 ft. — 7 ft. from the ground (Tutt) ; spun under 

 the surface of the sand, which abounds where this species occurs, and 

 frequently slightly attached to the roots of the grasses on which the 

 larva feeds (Newman) ; spins up in confinement among moss (Hodg- 

 kinson). 



Cocoon. — There is a considerable quantity of flossy silk on outside 

 of cocoon by which it is attached to objects usually on surface of 

 ground. The cocoon proper is within this, varies somewhat in shape, 

 the more regular ones being similar to those of Lasiocampa querc&s, /.. 

 var. callunac, &c. Some that were measured worked out as follows : 

 rather over J ;': in. in length, , 7 ,. in. in width ; rather over j ;': in. in length, 

 I in. in width ; \ in. in length, $, in. in width. The inner cocoon is 

 yellow-brown in colour (one was dark brown and much rounder in 

 shape), fairly stiff and hard, yet much thinner and less tough than that 

 of L. querctis ; it is composed of closely felted silk, with a number of 

 short hairs (chiefly on outer surface) mixed with the silk ; the inside 

 smooth, papery in texture, somewhat glazed ; in two cocoons the inner 

 layer almost white, in others of same tint as outer case ; the inner coat- 



