3062 Insects. 



feet from the ground. The perfect insect I will not here describe, as doubtless it is 

 known to most entomologists. The last few days of April, this insect becomes so 

 abundant, that it is not unfrequent to have them flying in one's face; they, however, 

 prefer flying close along the ground. Before I say anything of the larva, I will here 

 mention that these troublesome creatures dodging about are in general the males. 

 The female is much larger and of a paler hue, and is found against the trunks of the 

 common beech, at about three feet from the ground ; and if there should be any wind, 

 it should be searched for on the sheltered side of the tree. The female, being very 

 scarce in proportion to the other sex, is much sought after in this forest, and as it is 

 invariably found against the beech (on which its larva feeds), it must be diligently 

 searched for in those parts of the forest in which the greatest quantity of Taus are 

 found flying, by looking carefully around the bases of all the beeches. The eggs are 

 found on the low branches of the trees, sometimes on the leaves, at about the first 

 fortnight in May : they are oblong and of a clear brown colour and few in number 

 (about eight to ten). Towards the end of May, when the young Aglia is ready to 

 come out of its egg, it begins to gnaw a circular opening in the egg-shell of the size 

 of its head : this operation takes about a quarter of an hour. When it is completed, 

 it stops for a few seconds moving its mandibles about, and presently crawls boldly out 

 of its shell. The spines (with which the larva becomes armed) are then very small, 

 and are bent one over the other, but they soon straighten and begin gradually to in- 

 crease in size : they do not, however, attain their full length till about half, or three- 

 quarters of an hour after it has been hatched. The head is disproportionately large. 

 Before the first change of skin, the description of the larva is as follows : of a light 

 greenish yellow, with five long spiny horns, of which two are on the first segment, two 

 on the third segment, and one on the eleventh segment : behind this last one is a 

 short spine of a red-brown colour. The spines are all forked at their extremity, ex- 

 cepting the short posterior ones. The colour of the large spines is pale yellowish, with 

 the base and tip reddish brown ; that of the posterior one is all reddish brown : these 

 spines are moveable. There are five rows of very small pale yellow, semi-transparent 

 spines : a rather dark dorsal line : head pinkish yellow, with two concentric reddish- 

 brown lines thereon : stigmata greenish yellow : abdomen yellow : legs the same 

 colour as the body. After the first and second change, then appears a series of oblique, 

 pale yellow streaks on the sides, and a narrow pale yellow lateral line. After the last 

 change but one, the spines are no longer forked : the thoracic legs are tipped with 

 reddish brown ; the spines are then of a rusty-red colour, gradually tapering from the 

 base to the tip : stigmata reddish yellow : the incisions are also much stronger marked 

 and the middle of each segment is rather elevated, and covered with small asperities. 

 At the last change the caterpillar became as follows : caterpillar smooth, when full 

 grown, spineless ; rather attenuated both anteriorly and posteriorly : the incisions 

 are also much stronger marked, and the middle of each segment (which are all ele- 

 vated and well marked) is rather hollow or depressed. The third and fourth segments 

 are rather more elevated than the others : ground-colour of larva, of a bright 

 yellowish green, covered with minute, pale yellowish, tubercular spots, giving it a gra- 

 nulated appearance, and of a darker hue, on the lower part of the sides and abdomen ; 

 a narrow, pale, lateral line, separating the green of the abdomen from that of the 

 sides, and on which is placed, on the fourth segment, a small, oval, crimson pouch, 

 which the caterpillar opens when irritated; also a lateral series of oblique, pale yel- 

 low lines, one on each segment on either side. The part of the sides on which the 



