CHRYSOPHANUS DISPAR. 443 



unless it is travelling at an unusual speed. It can move backwards 

 with the greatest ease, bat does not seem capable of making any very 

 sharp turn. When walking on a smooth surface, such as glass, the 

 larva always spins a silken thread by means of which it hangs if 

 necessary. When gliding along, the larva will occasionally raise up 

 the thorax, when the very small head and thoracic legs become visible. 

 When passing a pellet, it usually raises the anal segments so that the 

 anal claspers and the prolegs of the 6th abdominal segment come into 

 view. In the first stadium, the larvre live on the underside of the 

 leaves, where they eat out small patches, consuming the lower 

 cuticle and the parenchyma, but leaving the upper cuticle entire. 

 They are very inactive, and are also very inconspicuous on account 

 of their flatness, pale colour, and translucent aspect. In the third 

 stadium they begin to eat holes right through the leaves, and, in the 

 last stadium, they make large holes, frequently near the midrib, but 

 though they consume the smaller veins of the leaf the large lateral 

 veins usually stop them, and often form the margin of a hole. They 

 feed in the gentlest manner, keeping the edge of the prothorax always 

 close to the leaf-edge, never stretching out the head and prothorax as 

 some larvas do when feeding. Consequently, even when actively 

 engaged in a meal, they never exhibit more of the head than the 

 mouthparts, the rest being hidden under the prothorax. The spaces 

 where they have fed never show any bold curves, but the edges all 

 round appear as if nibbled out. These notes were made on fullgrown 

 larvae received on June 7th, 1906, but, on July 30th, 1906, eggs and quite 

 newly-hatched larvae were received from Mr. Gillmer. Some of these 

 changed into the second instar on August 4th, and four daj^s later they 

 were again resting on silken platforms ; they assumed the third instar 

 on August 10th. They did not consume the cast skins. They fed 

 vigorously for three days, and then changed from pale ochreous-yellow 

 to brown, feeding little. On the 14th they were reddish-brown, and 

 they left the leaves and wandered about their glass cage. These larvaB 

 were fed entirely on Rumex obtusifolius. They ate no more after 

 August 14th, and remained quiescent, though from time to time they 

 changed their position. It seems, therefore, evident that this species 

 hybernates in the third instar (Sich). Chapman notes that some 

 larvae in their third stadium ceased feeding on August 15th, 1906, 

 and afterwards, though they moved occasionally, took no more food, 

 becoming however, quite red-brown in tint; a silken pad is then spun on 

 which the larva rests. One larva was observed sometimes to leave this 

 pad, wandering for a day or two, but returning thereto, and, on 

 September 11th, it seemed to have settled down on it for hybernation. 

 Larva. — First instar : The newly-hatched larva is yellowish- 

 white (bone-white) before feeding, l-5mm.-2mm. long, The dorsum 

 has on each segment the two pairs of trapezoidal hairs (i and 

 ii), rather long and curved backwards. There are also two rows of 

 dark lateral tubercular dots, and three pale marginal hairs on each 

 segment. The head is small, light brown, and retractile (Gill- 

 mer). About 3mm. long, a little longer or shorter, according 

 to attitude ; broad and short, more slender behind, when the head is 

 retracted (as it usually is) into prothorax, the front, though rounded, is 

 especially broad and transverse, the front margin of mesothorax being 

 nearly as wide as any other portion of the larva ; it dwindles again 

 a little, till it rounds off on the 9th and 10th abdominal segments. 



