HYDROCAMPA NYMPH^ATA. 87 



dorsally divided by a thin pale line; the rest of the 

 body above is light olive-brown with a darker dorsal 

 stripe, and fainter indications of a subdorsal stripe 

 less dark ; the body beneath is much paler, of a light 

 buff colour very faintly tinged with olive; there is no 

 abrupt change of colour to mark the division of the 

 back from the belly, as the tints of both melt slightly 

 together along the spiracles, which are very small, 

 roundish-oval, level with the skin, of the ground 

 colour delicately outlined with reddish-brown ; the 

 hooks of the feet are dark brown ; the whole skin is 

 soft and velvety, appearing darker in the depths of 

 the segmental divisions, and paler at the folds. 



After remaining quiet about ten minutes, whilst I 

 was making my observations, the larva began by 

 degrees to recover from its fright, and regaining 

 confidence turned back into the water, sinking in it 

 to the bottom, about an inch in depth ; here it 

 stretched itself out to the length of apparently an 

 inch and a half (probably an optical effect of water), 

 looking very thin and silvery, reminding me of a 

 preserved larva unnaturally attenuated ; in this way, 

 by its motions, it appeared to be searching for its 

 case, or for the food-plant ; and when presently its 

 empty case was placed on the water near it, and it 

 contrived to touch the case with its head, it seemed 

 baffled at first in its attempt to get into it, but in a 

 few minutes, while struggling with the buoyant 

 structure, it arrived with it at the side of the saucer, 

 up which it crawled, and from thence on to the top 

 of the case, appearing perfectly dry, and with its 

 previous proportions and shape resumed; and on 

 corning to one end of the case it tucked down its 

 head, and in a couple of seconds had entered within 

 and was out of sio-ht. 



I then examined the smaller larva, and found it 

 varied only in being a little deeper coloured. 



After this I left them quiet, and they seemed very 

 shy for a couple of days, and lay under the lowest 



