192 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



white spot, with its apex just touching at the posterior angles 

 of the scarlet spot. The dove -tail -shaped area between 

 the red and white spots is nearly black. The whole scheme 

 forms a dorsal pattern, which is faintly repeated on the 

 abdominal segments, the white and red especially being very 

 diffused and faint, and the black subdorsal patches being altogether 

 wanting on the abdominal segments. The lateral and dorsal areas 

 are covered with numerous fine scattered hairs, with . a smaller 

 number of longer black ones, which I think rise exclusively from 

 the tubercular areas. There is a distinct tendency for the hairs 

 to form into transverse ridges as in the larvae of Macrothylacia rubi, 

 Cosmotriche potatoria, I.asiocampa quercus, etc. (Bacot). De Geer 

 gives the following description of the (living) larva (Mem., i., p. 229, pi. 

 xiv., figs. 1 — 9): "2ms. in length, very stout, the diameter of the body 

 almost uniform throughout, except the head and last segment, which 

 are less wide than the rest. The larva is very hairy, the hairs not 

 very long, nor do they hide all the colours of the skin. The dorsum 

 and sides of the body are tan-yellow and dark, approaching 

 brown, along either side, and above the stigmata is a wide dark 

 blue streak, pointed with black. Each segment except the first and 

 last has, on the upper side, towards the posterior edge, two large 

 white spots edged anteriorly with black, on the second and third 

 segments there are, below the white spots, a black one on each 

 side; the yellow of the back is mixed with black and with bluish ; 

 the head is grey, approaching black ; the venter is of a rich 

 velvety-black ; between each pair of segments, except at the junctions 

 of the first three, is a transverse yellow band ; the six true legs 

 are corneous and black, but the prolegs are yellowish, particu- 

 larly on the outside, the semicircle of crochets on the prolegs being 

 brown. On the nth (penultimate) segment is a rounded eminence 

 well-furnished with scales ; all the upper part of the body is 

 furnished with many yellowish and some blackish hairs, which 

 are erect and straight, and come directly from the skin of the larva ; 

 the sides of the body have, however, a much greater number of 

 hairs of the same colour, which are bent downwards or towards 

 the resting-position in such a manner that, when the larva walks, the 

 tips of the hairs touch the surface on which the larva is walking, and 

 there are among these hairs some scales which are placed horizontally; 

 the hairs on the sides of the body are placed on the conical, 

 yellow, fleshy tubercles ; each segment has two of these fleshy 

 eminences, one on either side ; but the first segment (prothorax) 

 has four, and they are more raised than on the others ; each carries 

 a tuft of hairs pointing towards the head. Between the segments, 

 towards either side, is a tuft of short whitish hairs, which are 

 bent against the venter of the body ; at first sight these hairs 

 appear to be white spots ; the sides of the body have many 

 folds and ridges. The larvae are thus most hairy laterally 

 along the line separating the upper and lower parts of the body, 

 and the hairs arising from these areas are directed downwards.'' 

 Morton describes the larva of this species, from a specimen taken 

 August 3rd, 1864, near Lynton, North Devon, as follows: 4< A 

 Bombyx larva, apparently full fed ; length 1" 9". Head and body 

 hairy ; cream-coloured, dusted with black. Hairs on back dark, 



