ENDOTftiCHA FLAMMEALtS. 61 



pinkish beneath; the head, rather widest in front near 

 the mouth and a trifle flattened, is of brownish-red 

 colour; the plate on the second segment is broad, 

 blackish-brown, and for a time appears dorsally 

 divided ; the small anal plate is of the same dark 

 colour; the tubercular dots are rough, blackish, and 

 ranged on either side of the back longitudinally in a 

 straight line with each other, each dot bearing a fine 

 hair. A most remarkable addition occurs a little below 

 these on either side nearly close to the beginning of 

 each segment beyond the thoracic, in that of a small 

 ocellated crater-shaped spot with dark brown centre 

 bearing a hair; other rough dark dull dots, similar to 

 those on the back, occupy the usual tubercular 

 situations along the sides and ventral region; the 

 fifth and sixth segments on the belly have a transverse 

 series of these close together. The grey-brown web it 

 spins for its dwelling amongst the leaves now arrests 

 attention from its curious construction, as when seen 

 while the twigs are in an upright position the web is 

 partitioned off into several cells or chambers, one 

 above the other, by delicate diaphragms or floors, so 

 to speak, varying in number, but often as many as 

 from three to five, openly wrought and with fine 

 connecting threads, the larva occupying sometimes 

 one chamber, sometimes another, almost always in its 

 characteristic posture with the tail curled round 

 either across the second segment or over the head ; if 

 turned out it feigns death for a long time, but when 

 once it recovers from its fright it nimbly advances or 

 retreats backwards in efforts to escape. 



By the 19th of September it is 12 mm. long, and 

 is in a state of transition from its previous habit of 

 eating growing leaves, which, as autumn advances, 

 gradually die, and it accustoms itself by degrees to 

 feed on those leaves of sallow and hazel, or of horn- 

 beam, that are getting more discoloured and softened 

 with blotches of incipient decay before falling ; thus 

 it acquires the changed habit of feeding on decaying 



