8 R1VULA SERIOEALIS. 



third moult from the 26th September to the 4th of 

 October, and on the 5th all were hibernating. 



On the 21st of February, 1882, the air became 

 suddenly warm, and many of the larvae awoke from 

 their long sleep, and for several days hung suspended 

 by short threads ; they seemed very weak and unable 

 to feed, though their grass was beginning to put 

 forth tender shoots, yet they soon relapsed into a 

 torpid state when the weather became colder during 

 the month of March, and many then died. 



On the 1st of April, with milder weather, I 

 observed one individual larva had, by its bright 

 colours, apparently moulted, though I had no other 

 evidence to judge from, as it was feeding openly on 

 the potted grass quite unprotected ; its next moult 

 took place in captivity at midnight of the 19th ; it 

 recommenced feeding in course of next day, and 

 continued till the 29th ; when it was laid up for what 

 proved to be its last moult, which occurred late at 

 night on the 6th of May, and from that date it fed on 

 till the 15th, when it was again laid up, but this time 

 for the pupal change, which occurred on the night of 

 the 20th ; in like manner I watched the changes of 

 three others, the last one becoming a pupa on the 

 8th of June. 



The perfect insects were bred on the mornings of 

 the 6th, 16th, 18th, and 27th of June ; those on the 

 second and last date being females. On comparing 

 notes with Mr. Jeffrey for this account, I found his 

 first moth was bred on the same day, at about the 

 same hour as mine, and that a large proportion of his 

 larvae had been reared on Br achy jp odium pinnatum. 



The egg of Bivula sericealis is circular in outline, 

 not quite flat, but just a little rounded at the cir- 

 cumferential margin, very numerously ribbed and re- 

 ticulated, of a light greenish-drab tint, semi-trans- 

 parent, and rather glistening; a few hours before 

 hatching the top of the egg becomes slightly convex, 



