126 B0TYS LANCEALIS. 



examples on the 13th of August, and three more (full- 

 grown) on the 1st of September, 1874. 



Not having seen any description of this larva, it 

 has occurred to me to give one, together with some 

 account of the few individuals I had in captivity. 



Of the first two larvse I received, one had been acci- 

 dentally crushed, but its companion arrived in a lively 

 condition, wriggling and leaping, both forwards and 

 backwards equally well, whenever disturbed from its 

 web spun amongst the leaves of the Eujpatorium canna- 

 binurn. 



The youngest larva was about five-eighths of an inch 

 long, and at this stage of its growth was rather uni- 

 form in size, though in other respects showing the 

 characteristics of a Pyralis ; its pale drab head spotted 

 and freckled with darkish brown, the back and upper 

 sides of the body bluish-green, the thoracic segments 

 rather yellower green, a whitish hair-like spiracular 

 line, the belly and legs pale whitish-green ; the second 

 segment as shining as the head, and minutely speckled 

 with black, the dorsal vessel faintly showing as a 

 rather darker green pulsating stripe ; the segmental 

 folds greenish- white, the tubercular warty eminences, 

 though of the ground colour, yet glistening with a 

 pearly lustre ; the rest of the skin at t-his time gener- 

 ally without gloss, but so thin as to be semi-trans- 

 parent. 



When fresh food was supplied to this larva it soon 

 spun a new web for its dwelling under the end of a 

 leaf, folding it down and remaining quiet for some 

 time ; afterwards often coming out at intervals to feed 

 on the neighbouring leaves. 



On one occasion of changing the food I watched the 

 larva spin another web ; it first took up its position 

 on the under-side of a leaf, across the midrib, about 

 an inch from the tip, and began operations by fixing 

 a thread of silk on one side of the leaf ; then stretching 

 itself round, it carried over the thread and fixed it on 

 the opposite side, and so it continued regularly from 



