EIVULA SERICEALIS. 11 



highly magnified proves to be barbed; all the legs 

 are green, the ventral and anal ones fringed with fine 

 blackish hooks; the skin of the body is soft and 

 rather velvety. 



As soon as it has done eating at the partly truncated 

 top edge of the leaf, as before mentioned, it remains 

 quiet at that place for some hours, for it is there it 

 ultimately pupates after arresting the growth of the 

 leaf, and there, a little below the cut edge, it spins a 

 few silk threads which draw the sides of the leaf a 

 little towards each other, and cause an oval- shaped 

 hollow in part lined with silk, wherein the larva lies 

 with either its head near the top edge or else the tail 

 is there, as examples of both postures occur, and 

 one or two threads are passed loosely from side to 

 side over the back of the larva, forming a stay or 

 cincture to secure all in position, and a few more over 

 the hinder segments as further security, the uncut 

 portion of the top edge of the leaf is drawn down 

 obliquely over the top of the hollow which shelters 

 the occupant and hides a part of it from view, 

 although it is all on the upper surface of the leaf ; but 

 the colour of the larva assimilating with that of the 

 grass is no doubt a source of protection, and the 

 same with that of the pupa. 



The pupa is about 10J mm. long, with nothing 

 remarkable in its form ; the wing-covers are well 

 developed, with their nervures in strong relief ; the 

 abdominal segments are smooth, and very lightly 

 defined ; the anal tip is furnished with several minute 

 curly- topped spiny bristles, which are thrust into the 

 silk and held fast ; its colour is green, having beyond 

 the thorax the two white subdorsal stripes which 

 marked the larva; these gradually fade away as it 

 matures, and the wing-covers turn very pale, then 

 afterwards quite dingy, and at about 9 o'clock the 

 next morning the perfect insect is disclosed. (William 

 Buckler, July 12th, 1882 ; E.M.M., August, 1882, 

 XIX, 49—53.) 



