EUTfeiCHA QUERCIFOLIA. 217 



Lambillion notes that in Belgium the cocoon is usually hidden 

 in cracks of walls or low down in hedges, and Selys that 

 it chooses a place between the branches or the twigs of the 

 trees, whilst Pabst records the unusual occurrence of two larvae, 

 apparently normally healthy, pupating on the surface of the 

 ground without attempting to spin the normal cocoon, although 

 the reddish-coloured contents of the intestines were discharged, 

 as would have happened had a cocoon been spun : in both instances 

 $ moths appeared (Illus. Zeits. fur Ent., vol. hi., p. 249); a larva 

 of Cosmotriche potatoria that acted similarly is also referred to. 

 Ransom notes that at Sudbury he obtained a fullfed larva on June 

 20th, 1901, that changed to a pupa on the 27th without spinning a 

 cocoon, and the imago emerged in due course on July 1 8th. Reaumur 

 observes that the fluid excreted by the larva is whitish. He says : 

 " Before the larva changes to a pupa, it excretes apparently a very 

 great quantity of a whitish fluid (bouillie) from the anus, just as 

 the larva of Malacosoma neustria excretes a kind of yellow fluid 

 (bouillie). This dries and becomes a white powder, which attaches 

 itself to the body of the still moist pupa, when it first gets 

 rid of the larval skin, and when the movements that, it indulges 

 in at that time make it come in contact with the walls of the cocoon " 

 (Mem., ii., p. 285). There seems to be some little variation in 

 the length of the pupal stage ; many authorities give about three 

 weeks. Czekelius gives 20 days. Williams notes a fullfed larva found 

 at Ipswich, June 12th, 189 1, spun up June 13th, the imago emerging 

 July 13th, 1891. Ransom observes that a larva pupated June 24th, 1899, 

 and the imago emerged July 13th, 1899, at Sudbury. It may be well 

 here to note that, on emergence from the cocoon (especially if the 

 cocoon be laid horizontally ', the imago frequently scratches the outer 

 membrane of the wings while still quite soft, from which scratches 

 exude tiny globules of yellow blood ; this does not usually prevent 

 successful expansion, and as the wings harden, the little blood 

 drops become solid and black in colour, and sometimes drop off, 

 carrying, however, a certain number of scales with them ; frequently 

 they are immovably fixed to the wing membrane. 



Cocoon. — Two cocoons attached to sallow twigs examined ; 

 these bear considerable resemblance to those of Cosmotriche potatoria. 

 ( 1) ? . 2*5 in. long, 75 in. wide and "625 in. high (or deep) at bulkiest 

 part. (2) 2 • 2*5 in. long, rather less than "] in. wide and slimmer 

 than the other. The cocoon tapers gradually to the ends, which 

 are pointed, the lower exhibiting traces of concavity, the upper 

 being convex. It is composed of stout, greyish-brown silk, with 

 numerous larval hairs felted into it ; the general colour is patchy 

 or mottled, varying from pale whitish-grey to dark grey-brown, 

 with some ochreous stains. The inside is sometimes quite whitish- 

 grey owing to the quantity of white powder on it. The cocoon 

 looks opaque and dense, but if held up to the light is seen to be 

 far from opaque, and when opened this looseness of structure is still 

 more apparent ; it is woolly externally, a few threads of flossy silk 

 occurring on the outside of the cocoon, but smoother on the inside. 



(3) A $ cocoon is smaller, 2 in. long and '625 in. wide. 



(4) ? . Another cocoon, detached from its supports, i"625 in. long, 

 •75 in. wide and '625 in. high (at bulkiest part) is more oval, less 



